Secret Techniques of Blind Fortune-Tellers

Having resolved this matter weighing on my heart, a massive burden lifted from my chest. I cherished my wife and children even more, knowing they were my life’s greatest treasure. Life’s happiness lies in simplicity—after finishing dinner, brewing a pot of tea, the whole family gathered around the television, laughing and chattering together.

In the 1980s, several television series were very popular: one was “Journey to the West,” another was “The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea,” and yet another was “Ji Gong.” All these shows involved demons, ghosts, deities, immortals, and Buddha.

Sometimes, my daughter would lean against me and ask earnestly, “Daddy, are there really ghosts in this world?”

I smiled and said, “Dear daughter, people are more terrifying than ghosts. Ghosts never harm people, but people will.”

The girl asked again, “Then are there really immortals and Buddha in this world?”

I smiled again and said, “Those who do good deeds are gods, are Buddha.”

“Daddy, the neighbors all say you know fortune-telling. Why don’t you ever tell our fortunes?” my daughter asked innocently.

“That’s right, Dad. Tell my fortune and see if I can get into university later,” my son chimed in.

I glanced at my son, pulled my daughter into my arms, touched her nose and said, “You, your mother, and your brother are daddy’s fate. Do you understand, dear daughter?”

My daughter blinked and nodded.

My son walked over and said, “Dad, my classmate’s grandfather is really amazing. Every day people line up to have their fortunes told by him, especially on weekends. So many cars from far away park at his door. Dad, why don’t you show off your skills and dampen his spirits?”

“Get back to your room and study!” I bellowed.

My son rolled his eyes. “Alas, an old horse still dreams of galloping…”

“Go study!”

My son turned and went into his room.

I knew the person my son mentioned—a blind man everyone called “Longfeng.” No one cared what his real name was. Besides being blind, his hearing wasn’t good either, and he muttered to himself all day long. People gave him the nickname “Longfeng,” meaning “deaf and crazy.” Somehow this nickname got passed around and transformed into the auspicious-sounding name “Longfeng” (Dragon Phoenix).

Longfeng had inherited the skills of the blind master lineage. If the fortune-telling community were divided by physical condition, it could be split into the Blind School and the Sighted School. The Blind School consisted of blind people, the Sighted School of those with sight.

The blind masters had a set of fortune-telling formulas passed down from ancient times. These formulas had no written record and were transmitted orally, and could only be taught to blind people. Otherwise, if sighted people learned them, it would destroy the blind people’s livelihood.

The Blind School had one unique skill—determining when someone would die. Ordinary fortune-telling techniques found it very difficult to accurately determine when a person would die. Whether using eight characters or hexagrams, they could only roughly indicate which years might bring major disasters. Even physiognomy tried to avoid reasoning about life and death, because everyone could verify matters of life and death, and if the prediction was wrong, the fortune-teller would lose all face.

But blind fortune-tellers dared to make such predictions. This unique skill supposedly came from the Warring States period sage Guiguzi. When Guiguzi originally created these formulas, he established the rule that they could only be taught to blind people, not to sighted people. For thousands of years, the blind masters’ formulas formed their own lineage. Throughout history, countless sighted people wanted to learn this skill, even resorting to deception, eavesdropping, and offering large sums of money, but none succeeded. After the 1980s, some new divination students advertised the blind masters’ formulas just to make money. Dealing with such people required only one trick to expose them as frauds: give them the eight characters of a dead person and have them examine it. If they could accurately state which year the person died, they were genuine Blind School practitioners; otherwise, they were fraudsters.

When Zu Ye was in Shanghai years ago, he was also very interested in the Blind School. He once consulted a blind master about many questions, one of the sharpest being: If blind masters could directly determine from the eight characters which year a person would die, how could they explain the problem of people with identical eight characters not dying in the same year? Many people were born in the same year, month, day, and hour, yet their fates differed greatly, with death times varying by decades. Even twins might die years apart—how could this be explained?

That blind master thought for a while and said, “The methods of fortune-telling rely on the interactions of the five elements, like blind men touching an elephant—they only see one aspect. Many factors influence a person’s fate: ancestral virtue, parental merit, personal moral cultivation, even the social environment all play enormous roles. I don’t know if Zu Ye believes in Buddhism, but in my many years practicing fortune-telling, I’ve found that anyone whose fate undergoes major changes is either extremely good or extremely evil.”

Zu Ye offered substantial money, hoping to learn some formulas about determining life and death. That blind master smiled and said, “I advise Mr. Tieban not to do this. Everyone who has tried to dig out these skills has met a bad end. This is Heaven’s gift to blind people for making a living. Sighted people have hands and feet and can live better than us doing anything else. We cannot see anything in this colorful world our entire lives; we don’t even know what our own parents who birthed and raised us look like. This is our only rice bowl—please leave us a way to survive.”

Zu Ye was deeply ashamed. “Master, you are absolutely right! I won’t learn the formulas. Please keep the money. Your words have benefited me greatly!”

The blind master sighed deeply. “Sir, you are a good person. I cannot tell you the formulas, but I can divine your life and death.”

Zu Ye smiled. “What’s the harm in living? What’s sad about dying? As long as one lives with a clear conscience, when and where one lives or dies—what does it matter? A hundred years of human life is but a fleeting moment. Whether glorious or obscure, all eventually become like windswept fallen leaves, vanishing into smoke and clouds.”

“Ha ha ha ha. Sir has already transcended life and death. If everyone in the world were as carefree as you, there would be much less suffering.”

The blind master formulas Zu Ye wanted to obtain were called “Ma Dao Lu Xie” (Horse Falls, Salary Tilts). Everyone in divination circles knew of them, but no one had ever seen them.

By the 1980s, divination circles became active again. Some people began scheming to obtain the “Ma Dao Lu Xie Formulas” because they discovered that the many fortune-telling techniques they’d learned weren’t very practical. They’d attended numerous study classes, spent lots of money, traveled everywhere to study under many masters, but still couldn’t predict accurately.

Academic circles called the 1980s divination revival the “Divination Fever.” In the environment just after the Cultural Revolution ended, research related to divination was mainly academic. As for divination prediction, they didn’t dare openly discuss it.

Later, as reform accelerated, some people dared to enter divination’s forbidden zone and began studying fortune-telling. But the term “fortune-telling” was too sensitive, too superstitious, and didn’t sound good. So the term “prediction” came into use, and fortune-telling transformed into prediction studies. More refined people invented an even more elegant term—human information science.

This had much to do with the social environment at the time. After mainland China’s reform and opening up, some ideological theories from Hong Kong and Taiwan began influencing the mainland. For the past several decades, we had been conducting political movements, while Hong Kong and Taiwan hadn’t stopped their academic research. Back then, some academic talents followed Chiang Kai-shek to Taiwan and Hong Kong, where in a relatively relaxed political atmosphere, they conducted groundbreaking research on classical Chinese studies.

Classical Chinese studies meant Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. The mainland had cooled on these things for a period. This created an illusion that persists today: the roots of Chinese culture are in Taiwan.

This was actually a misunderstanding. The reason was that mainland people, just emerging from the Cultural Revolution, suddenly felt a cultural void after ten lost years, while Hong Kong and Taiwan were vibrant at that moment. Scholars there could freely interpret the “Analects,” the “Diamond Sutra,” and the “Dao De Jing,” and could even openly practice fortune-telling and feng shui.

Mainland people with a cultural gap instantly felt their eyes opened—all the masters were in Taiwan.

It wasn’t until the late 1990s that this misunderstanding gradually melted away. People gradually discovered that mainland scholars were no worse than those in Hong Kong and Taiwan; they were just more low-key. Perhaps too many hardships made them more cautious and reserved. Scholarship exists in the mind—even after ten years of restriction, this knowledge had effectively continued. As reform deepened, classical Chinese studies were no longer taboo but were to be vigorously inherited and promoted. Soon, the mainland entered a cultural explosion period for classical Chinese studies.

At this point, Chinese people worldwide finally understood that the roots of Chinese culture had never been severed. Taiwan had them, the mainland had even more. Both sides shared one lineage, all descendants of the Yan and Huang emperors—this was Chinese civilization.

The cultural inheritance across the Taiwan Strait included both essence and dross.

The orthodox interpretation and research of Buddhist, Confucian, and Daoist studies was positive and valuable—more precious than gold. Without them, Chinese people would have only yellow skin and black eyes left. But the superstitious practice of fortune-telling really shouldn’t have flooded back again.

After mainland China opened its reform door, some practitioners from Hong Kong and Taiwan also smelled this opportunity and rushed to the mainland to make money.

Poor mainland nouveau riche couldn’t distinguish true from false. Upon seeing Hong Kong and Taiwan masters in suits speaking broken Mandarin, they admired them tremendously: “Master, please check my feng shui!” “Master, change my fortune!” “Master, give our company an auspicious name!”

These people would never see that some so-called masters from Hong Kong and Taiwan, while glamorous on the surface, secretly ran to certain mainland villages to seek instruction from mainland fortune-tellers.

People knew even less that China once had a Zu Ye who devoted his life to fortune-telling but ultimately opposed it.

When divination began fermenting in the eighties, we old veterans of the Jiang Xiang Sect had a premonition that another batch of fraudsters was about to take the stage. History always repeated the same tragedies. Some cry while others laugh. Raise the yin-yang flag and fortune-tellers will come. Small-scale operations didn’t matter, treating it as a game didn’t matter, but once things got big—like causing deaths, involving fraud, or even developing into cults—the government would intervene.

Many young people who’d read too many novels and TV dramas or heard too many folk tales were now eager to try, vowing to dedicate themselves to divination. They wanted to devote themselves to divination research but didn’t realize they’d started down the wrong path. Divination studies didn’t equal numerology, much less superstition. Their so-called divination studies weren’t divination principles but fortune-telling. They frantically bought street stall materials, indiscriminately attended various study classes, sought masters everywhere, fantasizing about becoming worldly experts.

Thus, the first post-Cultural Revolution fortune-telling army appeared.

After struggling in the numerology field for several years, some people made it, but the vast majority became cannon fodder, wasting their youth achieving nothing. Yet they still wouldn’t give up, always believing they hadn’t learned the real thing. After trying every prediction technique taught by sighted people, they began turning to numerology’s last corner: the Blind School.

In 1985, the 72-year-old blind master Longfeng took on a disciple named Zhou Yulang.

This person wasn’t blind but pretended to be. He came from the north and knelt before Longfeng’s door for three days, finally earning Longfeng’s sympathy.

He said he’d been blind since childhood, his parents died early, he lived with his uncle and aunt but they treated him poorly. He wanted to live independently and came to study under the master, asking the old master to give him a way to eat.

Longfeng believed him, pitied his background, and taught him everything he knew. Zhou Yulang was indeed very clever, learned quickly, and had an exceptional memory. In half a year, he’d memorized all the formulas.

Si Batou, Qi Batou, and I were puzzled at the time: If Master Longfeng was such a divine calculator, how could he not have calculated that this disciple was a fraud! What we didn’t expect even more was that Zhou Yulang’s appearance would drag out a blood feud from the Jiang Xiang Sect’s past.

After completing his studies, Zhou Yulang set up his own practice and began fortune-telling. Using the sign “Longfeng’s Outstanding Disciple” plus his excellent eloquence and reaction ability, Zhou Yulang’s reputation quickly spread, with people seeking fortunes in endless streams.

While frantically accumulating wealth, Zhou Yulang also had to endure a kind of suffering—he needed to pretend to be blind every day. Someone who wasn’t actually blind deliberately assumed the appearance of a blind person. Whenever someone came for a reading, he’d roll up his eyeballs and grope around with both hands, so realistic it was astonishing.

The ancients said long ago: “Those whose six roots are impure cannot study the Way.” If numerology was reluctantly classified as Daoist methods, then those studying numerology must first have upright hearts. Studying the Way is about being a good person; if the person isn’t upright, affairs will surely fail. Ancient people transmitting methods emphasized choosing worthy recipients. Character was always first. If they couldn’t find suitable people, they’d rather take their lifetime’s learning to the grave than reveal anything. This wasn’t conservatism but unwillingness to create evil karma or let people bring destruction upon themselves.

Zhou Yulang wasn’t blind but pretended to be, deceiving his master—this was crime number one: deceiving his teacher and destroying his ancestors. More fatal was that he forgot the words Longfeng warned him when he first studied: “We tell fortunes only to make a living. We’re blind and cannot engage in other professions. This is our rice bowl, so our intentions must be proper. We cannot swindle people’s money or steal people’s wives. Say what should be said, don’t say what shouldn’t be said. Most important is advising people toward goodness—doing good is the only effective way to change one’s fate.”

In the colorful world, Zhou Yulang had long thrown these words to the back of his mind. Daily he sat upright and held forth, charging five yuan per reading, later raising it to ten yuan, then twenty. He dabbled in everything—predicting wealth, sons, marriage, business, grave sites, official fortune. At his peak, he saw over twenty clients daily, earning over a thousand yuan monthly. The county magistrate’s monthly salary was only five hundred yuan—he earned double.

With full belly comes lustful thoughts. When business boomed, people take crooked paths.

One day, a young married woman came to Zhou Yulang for a fortune-telling.

“What do you seek?” Zhou Yulang asked, rolling his eyes.

“Master, I want my marriage fortune told.”

Zhou Yulang secretly glanced at this young woman. His heart couldn’t help but thump. What a beautiful woman—skin tender and white, shoulder-length hair parted seven-three, refined and elegant, round chin, bright eyes, exuding intellectual beauty throughout. Her bulging chest further proclaimed a pair of magnificent breasts ready to burst from beneath her clothes.

Zhou Yulang swallowed and rolled his eyes. “Mm. Marriage fortune. What year were you born?”

“1960.”

“Which month?”

“Lunar August.”

“What date in August?”

“August twenty-third.”

“What time?”

“After midnight.”

Zhou Yulang shook his head. “After midnight, that’s not August twenty-third anymore, it should be August twenty-fourth—already entering the zi hour.”

“Oh, Master, I don’t understand. Anyway, Mother said it was after midnight.”

“Mm.” Zhou Yulang tilted back his neck, squinted his eyes, and calculated with his fingers.

The young woman waited anxiously.

Suddenly, Zhou Yulang reached out his hand, groping around, as if searching for something.

The young woman quickly asked, “What is Master looking for?”

“Nothing, nothing. I got up this morning and haven’t had a sip of water yet. Let me pour some water to drink.” He stood up and felt toward the table.

The young woman immediately stood up and helped Zhou Yulang sit down. “You sit, you sit. I’ll help you pour it.”

Zhou Yulang smiled and said, “Excellent, excellent. Oh my, excellent.”

The young woman poured Zhou Yulang a cup of water and handed it over.

Zhou Yulang extended both hands, slowly groping.

The young woman saw this was truly troublesome, so she directly grabbed Zhou Yulang’s hand and said, “Master, it’s here.” She stuffed the cup into Zhou Yulang’s hand.

Zhou Yulang took advantage of the opportunity to hold both the young woman’s hand and the cup together in his hands. “Oh, thank you, thank you.”

If an ordinary person made such a move, the young woman would certainly have noticed, but the person before her was blind, so she didn’t think much of it and just slowly withdrew her hand.

Zhou Yulang took a sip, then said, “Your fate is a wealthy and noble fate. You are a rich person.”

The young woman smiled embarrassedly. “Not bad.”

Zhou Yulang had already seen this young woman was exceptionally dressed, adorned with jewelry from head to toe, thus making this assessment.

“I calculate you should marry late. Too many peach blossoms in your fate—you should marry after age thirty. Otherwise, the marriage definitely won’t be good.”

“Right, right! Master is correct. I married at twenty-one, and now the marital relationship is very bad.”

“I calculate your husband should be very tall, fair-faced, working in government.”

The young woman thought for a moment and answered, “He’s not that tall, about 1.7 meters. His skin isn’t fair, nor dark. He used to work in government, then went into business.”

Zhou Yulang dared make such predictions because he saw the young woman wasn’t short. In China, husbands were generally taller than wives. This woman had fair skin, so she definitely wasn’t doing farm work, meaning her husband must not be a farmer either. In that era just after reform and opening, anyone not a farmer could be called a government worker, since those in business were still a minority.

Getting one out of three predictions right was enough. Zhou Yulang continued, “Your husband has an affair, and so do you!”

The young woman lowered her head.

“Am I right?” Zhou Yulang pressed.

“Yes.”

“I advise you to divorce quickly. From your eight characters, this marriage can last at most three years. Any longer and something will happen.”

The young woman was alarmed. “Is there no way to save it?”

“I’m afraid you’ll lose both person and wealth.”

“This…”

“If you insist on not divorcing, you’ll also face a life-and-death disaster!”

The young woman was shocked. “Life-and-death disaster?”

“Yes. White Tiger sits at the head, bringing disaster and calamity. Next year the White Tiger descends upon you—you might have to turn back.”

The young woman didn’t understand. “What does ‘turn back’ mean?”

Zhou Yulang feigned impatience. “Turn back means having to go back, no longer living in this world, dying!”

The young woman’s brows furrowed tightly.

Zhou Yulang continued, “This disaster is very similar to one from your childhood. I calculate that before age twelve, you had a major hurdle, but you got through it. Am I right?”

The young woman thought nervously. “I don’t… don’t remember any major disaster…”

“Think more carefully. There must be one!”

“When I was four, I had a serious illness. Does that count?”

“Of course it counts! This belongs to illness disaster, but you came through it. Children have deep roots and can withstand calamities. Adults cannot.”

This calculation about childhood disasters was also a common trick used by fortune-tellers. This world is inherently full of risks—floods, fires, car accidents, diseases, etc. During the process of growing up, a person always encounters several disasters, especially in early childhood. For example, getting sick, being naughty and falling into water pits or manure pits, falling from tables, climbing trees or walls and breaking legs. Children’s nature is to explore and learn, so external harm is inevitable—everyone experiences this. But in fortune-tellers’ mouths, these things became divine calculations with nearly 100% accuracy.

“Then… Master, can I prevent it?” the young woman asked.

“It’s best to divorce as soon as possible. If you can’t divorce right away, I’ll give you a talisman first to wear on your body. At least it can keep you safe.”

“That’s wonderful! Wonderful! Thank you for your trouble, Master!”

Zhou Yulang felt around the drawer, pulled it open, took out a red paper packet, and handed it to the young woman. “You must carry this talisman on you every day. After seven times seven, forty-nine days, burn it. When burning it, face southwest, kowtow three times, and don’t let anyone see.”

“Good, good. I’ve noted it! Master, you’ve gone to such trouble—about how much money should I give you?”

Zhou Yulang raised his head. “Listen to me. Fortune-telling costs ten yuan. This talisman—I asked someone else to draw it. I can’t see, so I can only tell others how to draw it. These talismans are all drawn with cinnabar at midnight during the zi hour, when chickens don’t crow and dogs don’t bark. So I have to treat people to meals and have them draw at midnight. So for this talisman’s cost, give whatever you think is appropriate, just show your appreciation.”

The young woman took out her wallet, pulled out a hundred-yuan bill, and stuffed it into Zhou Yulang’s hand. “Master, this is one hundred yuan. Please take it.”

In the mid-to-late eighties, one hundred yuan was a large bill. Zhou Yulang’s hands trembled. “Oh my, thank you, thank you.”

“You’re too kind, Master. I should be thanking you.”

This matter soon became known throughout the community. Zhou Yulang told everyone, “A wealthy person came for a fortune-telling. Because I calculated so accurately, they immediately gave me one hundred yuan as a reward!”

He said these things simply to raise his own status. After Longfeng heard about it, he sent word through someone: “One must be low-key. Money is sometimes a disaster.”

This matter also stirred Qi Batou Wang Jiaxian into action.

Wang Jiaxian had entered the hall earlier than me but ranked lower as a Batou. His ambitions had always been great. He always felt he was unappreciated. Later, he met Zu Ye and entered the Jiang Xiang Sect, hiding in schools with a teacher’s identity, specifically fishing for student parents as marks.

Later, instigated by San Batou and Wu Batou, he intended to rebel. Ultimately, his conscience awakened and he informed Zu Ye the night before, thus avoiding death.

He and San Batou were the same type—very scholarly, hair always slicked back shining with oil, the appearance of a refined gentleman. After getting out of prison, he was the first to find a partner, marry, and have children. Unfortunately, his wife wasn’t very capable—she bore three daughters in a row but couldn’t produce a son.

Later, he sought secret formulas from Si Batou. The “Zhafei Secret Manual” from back then had recorded some medicinal formulas for producing sons.

After hearing this, Si Batou laughed and said, “Seventh Brother, what era is this? You’re still clinging to our Jiang Xiang Sect’s old relics. Those formulas are nothing more than schisandra, salvia, and other tonic strengthening herbs. Our Jiang Xiang Sect just gambled on a 50% probability. Either a boy or girl would be born. If the mark had a boy, that was the Jiang Xiang Sect’s achievement. If a girl was born, it was the mark’s destiny. Have you forgotten how we dealt with people who came seeking sons back then?”

Qi Batou smiled helplessly and said, “Of course I remember. I’m just desperately wanting a son. Zu Ye didn’t let us touch the ‘Zhafei Secret Manual’ back then. Only you and Fourth Sister-in-law read it completely. I thought there might be content I didn’t know about.”

“Ha ha. Going in circles until you’ve trapped yourself.” Si Batou also laughed.

Back in the day when we were running scams, we often encountered people who came seeking sons.

“Master, please help me see—is the child my wife is carrying now a son?”

Our classic script was: “It should be a son. A daughter is also a treasure.”

Just ten short words, yet they could let the mark arrive full of hope and leave happy. No matter the outcome, they wouldn’t blame the fortune-teller.

Under the ethical indoctrination of “there are three forms of unfilial conduct, of which having no descendants is the worst,” Chinese people particularly liked having sons. Those who’d had three or four daughters in a row were especially anxious. In the countryside, even when neighbors quarreled, the side with sons would use this as leverage to attack the side without sons, cursing: “Your ancestors lacked virtue! You have no son in this life, you’re ending your family line!”

So sons were necessary, because only with sons could there be grandsons, and descendants would continue endlessly through the generations.

When we said “it should be a son” to marks, they would first receive psychological comfort, stabilizing their emotions. Otherwise, if we directly said “no,” they’d definitely get up and leave, and we couldn’t make money.

Then we’d say the second half: “A daughter is also a treasure.”

Families with strong feudal thinking believed daughters would eventually belong to other families. After painstakingly raising them, they’d still have to provide dowries for them to continue someone else’s family line—a huge loss. So ordinary families called girls “worthless scraps.” Only daughters of prominent families were called “precious daughters.”

When we said “a daughter is also a treasure,” the mark would definitely ask puzzled: “Master, what do you mean?”

We’d say with great seriousness: “Based on you and your wife’s eight characters, this child should be a son. But I also see a girl beside him—two fruits hanging on one branch. Which one comes down first depends on fate.”

“What do you mean?”

At this point, we’d take out the already-prepared “Celestial Child Descending Diagram” to show them. This picture depicted a large tree with twelve curved, coiling branches, each branch painted with four or five fruits, and each fruit painted with a smiling child’s face. We’d point to two fruits close together and say: “See? When these two fruits descend to earth, they’ll be your children—one boy, one girl. Neither are ordinary mortals; both are heavenly stars. If it’s a boy, in the future he’ll ride a great horse and wear red flowers. If it’s a girl, she’ll also marry into a wealthy family and become an official’s wife. You just wait to enjoy your good fortune!”

After this speech, the marks would basically all be grinning from ear to ear.

Several months later, when the child was born, if it was truly a boy, the mark would inevitably come to express gratitude. If it was a girl, it didn’t matter—the mark wouldn’t come make trouble. As for whether she’d marry into a wealthy family in the future, that was at least eighteen years away. By then, no one would care about the fortune-telling from back then.

Qi Batou’s Fortune-Telling for a Son

At this moment, Wang Jiaxian desperately wanted a son, scratching his ears and cheeks. Age waits for no one—he was already over fifty, his wife over forty. If they couldn’t produce one with a handle, he’d have no connection with a son in this life.

Later, Wang Jiaxian called me over: “Fifth Brother, please help think of a solution. You and Fourth Brother both have sons. Help your younger brother!”

“Alas!” I sighed deeply. “What’s so good about sons! I’d rather have given birth to two daughters. My son causes trouble every day, far worse than daughters!”

“Raise sons to provide for old age!” Wang Jiaxian said urgently.

“Raise sons for old age? Ha ha. You’ve seen old man Zhang Jindou from our town, right? Five sons. Back in the day, Old Zhang suffered tremendously to feed this household, working like a beast of burden his entire life. Now he’s old, his sons are grown, all married their wives. Now what? These five brothers are more useless than the next. By rights, when parents age, sons should compete to care for them. Look at these five—twelve months a year, each family takes two months and six days. But because February has two fewer days, the youngest son absolutely won’t take the old man in. The eldest claims his days are up, missing two days is the old calendar’s fault, and that very day drove the old man out. Because of this, the old man was forced to squat in the station ticket office for two days. At night no one brought him food—it was kindhearted Aunt Cui who brought him a bowl of noodles to eat. You call this raising sons for old age? This isn’t raising sons, this is repaying debts, repaying these ungrateful wolves!” I said angrily.

“Oh my, these situations are rare!” Wang Jiaxian said.

I said: “Why don’t you look at those who were blessed by raising daughters? Zhao Tiepi’s family has three daughters. The eldest married an educated youth who’s returned to the city now. Every holiday they come back to see the Zhao Tiepi couple. The good food they bring from Beijing—we’ve never even seen it! The second daughter married a bricklayer. When they rebuilt the house the year before last, the second son-in-law called over twenty people at once. In twenty days the house was up, didn’t spend a cent! The third daughter is in university now, I hear she’ll go abroad in the future. If she marries a foreigner, won’t she send the old man an aircraft carrier? What do you call enjoying blessings? This is enjoying blessings! I dare say, when my children grow up, my daughter will definitely love me more than my son. Just seeing my son now makes me angry!”

“Oh my, Fifth Brother, you’re speaking without understanding the pain. You have a son, of course you can say this!”

“Want me to adopt my son to you? Will you take him?” I said with a smile.

“Don’t tease me.”

Si Batou and I ultimately couldn’t convince Wang Jiaxian. He still secretly ran off to find the now-famous Zhou Yulang.

“Master, help me see—can I still have a son in this lifetime?” The over-fifty Wang Jiaxian humbly asked the twenty-something Zhou Yulang for guidance.

Zhou Yulang squinted and said: “From your eight characters, you should have a son.”

“Really?” Wang Jiaxian’s eyes lit up.

“However…”

“However what?” Wang Jiaxian tensed up.

“However… your and your wife’s eight characters conflict!”

“Ah?”

“Mm. You’re fire destiny, your wife is water destiny. Water conquers fire. Fire is yang, water is yin. Insufficient yang energy naturally can’t produce sons.”

The once brilliant Jiang Xiang Sect member A’Bao was now actually confused: “Master, please explain in detail.”

“Haven’t you noticed that at critical moments, you and your wife’s opinions are never quite aligned? For instance, you say go east, she insists on going west…”

Before Zhou Yulang could finish, Wang Jiaxian got excited: “Right, right, right! You’re absolutely right.”

“Mm. She’s blocked your wealth path, official fortune, even delaying your son.”

Wang Jiaxian thought carefully. It really was like this. In the past, whenever I wanted to do something, she always worried about this and worried about that. In the end, I accomplished nothing my entire life.

“Master is absolutely right. What should I do?”

“Divorce!”

“Divorce?” Wang Jiaxian broke into a sweat. After decades together, he’d never even thought about divorce.

“Mm. I’ll tell you what kind of wife is most suitable. You should marry someone born in the Year of the Rat. Then your eight characters will be compatible, and you’ll definitely have a son!”

On the way home, Wang Jiaxian carefully pondered Zhou Yulang’s words: This person really dares to speak. He concluded with certainty that my wife and I aren’t compatible, insisting I must divorce. Without real ability, would he dare say this?

Wang Jiaxian wandered in confused thought for a week, finally laying it out to his wife: “We… should we… get divorced!”

“What?” Wang Jiaxian’s wife Zhang Yingzhi was stunned. “What did you say?”

“I said… we should divorce. I’m also thinking about our family line…”

Zhang Yingzhi was enraged: “Just because you can’t produce a son, you want to divorce me? Do you still want your old face? Back when you got out of prison, who was willing to marry you? You pestered me relentlessly, saying you’d love me for life. I felt sorry for your pathetic state and married you. Now you want to divorce me—are you still human? Our eldest daughter is about to marry, and you still want face?”

Wang Jiaxian also got angry: “Right! I was in prison, I’m a criminal! I deserve to die! Living, I’m a joke! So what if you married me? All these years I’ve been groveling, unable to hold my head up before your family. Look at your father’s face every time we visit—as if my marrying you was your whole family’s favor to me, and I must act like a dog my whole life to be worthy of your family. I have a stain on my record, but it can’t suppress me for life! Controlling everything I do, not letting me do anything. In 1982, I wanted to do sausage business, you vetoed it. Two years ago, I wanted to do clothing business, you vetoed it again. Must I only be a schoolteacher my whole life?”

Zhang Yingzhi’s tears came: “Do you have a conscience saying this? Back then, to restore your teaching qualifications, my father ran his legs off, worried himself sick, finally got you into the school. We live life seeking peace and stability. You’re now vice principal, an outstanding teacher in the city. With such comfortable days, you insist on going into business. Aren’t you courting death?”

“Who says doing business is courting death? When I mixed in society back then, what great storms haven’t I seen?”

“Fine, fine, don’t mention your past. Seven brothers, four rebelled. You were one of them. Rebelling is one thing, but midway you chickened out and went to inform…”

“I’ll beat you, you damned woman!” Wang Jiaxian raised his palm.

“Hit me!” Zhang Yingzhi thrust her face forward.

Wang Jiaxian ultimately didn’t dare hit her. Finally, dejected, he said: “Let’s divorce. This life is unbearable.”

Zhang Yingzhi, tears streaming down her face, raised her head: “Whoever doesn’t divorce isn’t human!”

“Foolish, Old Seven, you’re foolish!” When Si Batou and I learned the news, we stamped our feet in anger.

“Two elder brothers needn’t persuade me. My mind is made up!”

“Made up your ass! Just based on a few words from that blind man, you’ll divorce? I think you’ve gone mad!” We brothers still didn’t know Zhou Yulang was faking blindness.

“It’s not entirely that. These years, I’ve had enough. We’ve been in prison, but we can’t be unable to hold our heads up for life.” Wang Jiaxian said indignantly.

“Don’t make excuses. You’ve just fallen for that blind man’s trick!”

“He spoke very logically. He’s not a fraud, unlike us!” Wang Jiaxian said defiantly.

“Fine. We don’t care if he’s a fraud or not. You must listen to Zu Ye’s words. You’ve read Zu Ye’s ‘Yin Yang Guidance Record,’ right? The analysis there is so thorough. Whether or not to tell fortunes is optional. If you want a son, do more good deeds, accumulate more virtue. We brothers will help you together. Tomorrow we’ll go to the temple and make offerings.”

“He said I must divorce. Our eight characters conflict.”

“Heavens! Are you possessed or what? Are you still our Old Seven? We’ve hunted birds our whole lives, now a bird has pecked your eye.”

“Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother, think about it. If he didn’t have real ability, would he dare directly tell me to divorce? Back in the day, we never dared say such things to marks!”

I frowned and said: “We didn’t say such things back then because Zu Ye said in advance, ‘Better to demolish ten bridges than break up one marriage.’ He felt this was creating evil karma, so he wouldn’t let us do this.”

“Why does he dare say it?”

“He dares say it because he’s blind. Who would argue with a disabled person? Tell me, how much money did he take from you?”

“To be honest with you two brothers, he didn’t take a cent. He said whenever it comes true, then he’ll take money. He dares say this, he must have confidence. Otherwise, wouldn’t he fear that once I divorce and remarry, if I still have a daughter, I’d go make trouble for him?”

Si Batou and I were also shocked. Yes, this matter was no small thing. This blind man really dared to speak. Wasn’t he afraid that if things didn’t work out, others would go fight him? Even his master, the famous Longfeng, never suggested people divorce. Only when two people really couldn’t live together anymore and both felt they should divorce would he help find the next partner.

“Something’s wrong, something’s wrong.” My brain raced. “I feel like there’s something off about Zhou the blind man…”

Si Batou also nodded: “Mm, I also feel something’s not right. Other fortune-tellers all quietly make their money, never daring to show off. Since he set up his own practice, he couldn’t wait to make his name known. This is different from ordinary fortune-tellers.”

“Do you know this person’s background?” I asked Wang Jiaxian.

“How would I know? Didn’t they say he wandered over from the north?”

“Specifically where?”

“Don’t know. Anyway, I want to try it.”

“Really divorcing?”

“Divorcing! She said, whoever doesn’t divorce isn’t human!”

“Aiya! Here we go again! Can’t control you!”

And so, Qi Batou inexplicably divorced, leaving with nothing. We brothers scraped together some money for him and rented him a room to live in. Fortunately, he still held his vice principal position, earning two hundred yuan monthly income. Life could go on.

Next was finding a woman born in the Year of the Rat. Those born in 1984 were Rats, but definitely unsuitable—still young girls. Those born in 1972 were Rats, also unsuitable—still minors. Those born in 1960 were Rats, twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, but basically all married for just a few years. Without special circumstances, they wouldn’t divorce. Those born in 1948 were Rats, but already over forty—whether they’d be willing to bear children again was questionable. Choosing and choosing, he still had to target those born after 1960.

A fifty-something person finding a twenty-something wife was still considered strange news in that era. But Qi Batou, having entered a dead end, was determined to do this.

“Master, from which direction should I find this woman? Doesn’t fate have directions? East, south, west, north—I need a direction.” Wang Jiaxian asked Zhou Yulang.

“Mm. You’re very capable, you’re someone who accomplishes great things. Unfortunately these years your wife tripped you up. If you’d met me earlier, you’d have prospered long ago!”

“Alas, this is also fate.”

“Correct. This is fate. I calculate this second wife should come from the south, fair-skinned, very refined, also a wealthy woman. Next spring, she’ll appear.”

“Really? A refined wealthy woman?”

“Mm! This is your fate! Your prosperous days are coming!”

“How old is this person?”

“Under thirty. An old-young match!”

Wang Jiaxian was delighted, feeling feverish: “Master, if this can happen, you’re my great benefactor! I’ll support you for life!”

“You’re too kind! Aren’t we fortune-tellers here to bring blessings to people!”

“Master is truly compassionate.”

A month later, the young woman who’d previously sought Zhou Yulang for marriage fortune-telling returned. Her name was Wan Suxin.

“Master, I’ve already burned the talisman you gave me,” Wan Suxin said.

“Mm. How’s the marital relationship been lately?”

“Not good. Very bad. We have a shoe factory in the south. We’ve made some money these years. He’s changed, become fickle, found a female student, even had a child with her. I always thought he was just playing around. I didn’t expect him to produce a child. I really want to sue him in court, charge him with bigamy!”

“Don’t! Don’t! Letting others off is letting yourself off.”

Wan Suxin’s face was full of sorrow: “Alas, it’s also my fault. I’m not capable…”

Zhou Yulang quickly caught the implication of this statement and hastily interjected: “That day when I calculated your eight characters, I felt your children’s palace wasn’t particularly prosperous. Children come late!”

“Master is very right! We’ve been married seven years. It’s strange—I’ve never been able to get pregnant. He wanted children, so he had an affair! Master, can you calculate whether I can have children or not? I went to the hospital for checkups. The doctor said there’s no problem. I don’t know what’s going on.”

Zhou Yulang immediately made a finger-calculating gesture, pondered for a long time and said: “In your fate, the children star in your eight characters is being suppressed. It’s called ‘children entering the tomb.’ The tomb must be burst open before you can have children!”

“Entering the tomb? Burst open?”

“Right. It’s like some men are sick and must use women to dispel the bad luck. You’ve heard of such things, right?”

“I’ve heard.”

“Same principle. Your husband’s eight characters and your eight characters just don’t match. He can’t burst it open. Continuing like this, you’ll never have children your whole life, and feelings will get worse and worse!”

Wan Suxin grew more nervous listening: “Then… it seems I must divorce?”

“Didn’t I say before? If you insist on clinging on, there’ll be more bad than good. Think about it, your husband already has a child with someone else. That woman will definitely pressure him to divorce. If you refuse to divorce no matter what, if you push your husband to desperation, what if he poisons you? Won’t that be trouble!”

“He… he shouldn’t, right…” Wan Suxin said doubtfully.

“People’s hearts are separated from their bellies—actions are hardest to predict. Gambling breeds thieves, adultery produces murder.”

Wan Suxin’s heart pounded hearing this.

“Master means I should divorce him as soon as possible?”

“As soon as possible! If you initiate divorce now while he’s happy, you can divide more property. Wealth is the source of sustaining life. When women have wealth, suitors naturally come.”

“I understand!” After speaking, Wan Suxin pulled out a hundred-yuan bill from her pocket. “Thank you for Master’s guidance! This money…”

“Don’t! Don’t! Don’t! You’re insulting me!”

“Master, you’re…”

“I’m a fortune-teller, relying on this skill to help people resolve disasters. What use do I have for so much money! Last time you gave me a hundred, my conscience still hasn’t settled. When you completely divorce and find your ideal husband, just invite me to drink at your wedding feast.”

Wan Suxin was moved beyond words: “Master… Master… You truly have a bodhisattva’s heart!”

“I’m not divorcing!” Wan Suxin’s husband Jiang Zhigao roared.

“On what grounds won’t you divorce? You’ve had a child with someone else, what do you want me by your side for?” Wan Suxin wailed.

“Don’t you also have a lover? You cheated first, okay?” Jiang Zhigao retorted mockingly.

“That was public relations! When we first arrived in Shenzhen, helpless and without support, if I hadn’t connected with people from Industry and Commerce, Taxation, and the bank, could we have started from nothing?”

“Public relations? You attacked them into bed?”

“We didn’t do anything, just drank tea at the hotel!”

“Even idiots wouldn’t believe that!” Jiang Zhigao cursed.

“You made your fortune relying on your wife’s looks and you still have face? Have you forgotten your beggar appearance sleeping on the streets?” Wan Suxin also got agitated.

“Damn! Wasn’t that because I emptied Dad’s savings account to do business? Wasn’t it all for this family?”

“Family? You still know about family? You spend more time in hotels than at home!”

“Damn! Isn’t that all for business! Every day I meet clients, every day I drink, almost drinking myself to death! If I don’t fight, where would you get all that money to spend? Look at your outfit—eight hundred yuan top, four hundred yuan pants. Don’t be blessed without knowing it!”

“Cut the crap. Let’s divorce. Once divorced, we’ll both be free. I want half the property!”

Jiang Zhigao was stunned: “After all this, you want to divide my property?”

“Your property? Your property? This old lady exchanged it with her body!”

“Finally admitting it! I’ve long suspected you had something with Zhang Sanpao from Taxation!”

“I want my share. Legally speaking it makes sense too.”

“Legal? You want to take me to court?”

Wan Suxin smiled: “That depends on you.”

“I’ll kill you!”

Wan Suxin’s heart chilled, and she said coldly: “Seems what was said wasn’t wrong.”

“What wasn’t wrong?”

“Nothing! I’m leaving! Wait for the court summons!” Wan Suxin slammed the door and left.

“Come back! Come back! Damn you!” Jiang Zhigao kicked the table over, squatted on the ground and wept bitterly holding his head.

The Five Elements’ Mutual Generation and Counter-Conquest

Wan Suxin came to Zhou Yulang’s house again.

“Master, you were right. He really could do terrible things. He said he’d kill me! They say one day as husband and wife means a hundred days of grace, but once couples turn against each other, they’re worse than enemies!”

“Alas! Husband and wife are birds of the same forest—when disaster strikes, each flies their own way. You just take feelings too seriously. You’re a kind person, you just chose the wrong partner.”

“Master is right. When I married him, I saw he… saw he was good-looking, eloquent. His father was an old oil worker, he was also a regular employee, family conditions were all good. I didn’t expect him to have this face now. If he refuses to divorce no matter what, what should I do?”

Zhou Yulang chuckled: “Why are you confusing yourself? Have you forgotten? You have leverage over him—how dare he not divorce?”

Wan Suxin was stunned, then awakened: “Oh… right, right. He had a child with someone else. I can threaten him. If he doesn’t agree to divorce, I’ll sue him in court!”

“Right! But killing someone only requires a nod—don’t go to extremes in anything. Don’t provoke him. Give him words to hear, let him understand the stakes, but don’t press too hard. You can say separate for a while and try it, if it really doesn’t work, remarry. As for property, let him decide what to give. Retreat to advance—if you show weakness, he’ll actually feel pity.”

Hearing this, Wan Suxin nodded deeply: “Master, you’ve really gone to great trouble.”

“Alas. I can’t help it. If I didn’t see your kind nature, I wouldn’t help anyone with divorce ideas. Our profession has rules—we can’t break up families unless both parties agree to divorce. Sinful, sinful.”

“Master has worked hard. Master, you’re helping me, you’re doing a good deed.”

“If you can think this way, I’m much comforted. Also, you must not reveal that I gave you advice behind the scenes, otherwise your husband will come settle accounts with me!”

“Master, rest assured. I absolutely won’t say.”

After another month passed, Wan Suxin visited again.

“Master, I’m divorced. Completely clean!” Wan Suxin’s face was full of smiles.

“Ha ha. This is right. A happy life is about to begin.”

“Mm mm. I followed Master’s guidance and had a heart-to-heart talk with him. I said I don’t want anything, I just want peace and quiet, I want to live alone. After hearing this, he actually cried. He said he wronged me and hoped I’d think it over before deciding. I said I’d thought about it for a long time, and I said I can’t bear children, I really wronged him. He said he’ll always love me. In the end, he gave me three hundred thousand and said he hopes I can return to his side in the future.”

Speaking to here, Wan Suxin choked up. She suddenly felt a trace of sadness. Scenes of marital love from years ago began circling in her mind: “Alas… life is impermanent.”

Zhou Yulang glimpsed this scene with his un-blind eyes and quickly pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it over.

Wan Suxin took it and wiped her tears, suddenly feeling something was wrong: “Master, how did you know I was crying?”

Zhou Yulang immediately realized he’d been too rash just now. His brain raced, and he chuckled: “I’ll tell you a secret. You must never tell outsiders.”

“What’s so mysterious?”

“I have a special ability since childhood—I’ve opened my celestial eye.”

“Celestial eye?”

“Right! Haven’t you heard that many people practicing qigong have opened their celestial eyes?”

“I’ve heard of this but never seen it.”

Zhou Yulang effectively utilized the social rumors of the 1980s. At that time, China was experiencing a qigong fever—opening celestial eyes, guessing objects through barriers, the immortal’s single grasp, qilin manifestations, ears that could recognize characters, telekinesis. Even some Hong Kong and Taiwan films incorporated these elements. In “God of Gamblers” and “The Conman,” you could find shadows of mainland paranormal masters.

“When I was five years old, I could suddenly see wandering ghosts around me. Of course, not with physical eyes—I’m blind. But relying on the celestial eye in my heart, I could always see some real and illusory things. I’ve never told anyone about these matters,” Zhou Yulang added.

“Ah? Master has this ability too?”

Zhou Yulang nodded: “This is a kind of suffering, seeing things others cannot see. Tell me, isn’t that terrifying?”

“Mm mm. I read in the newspaper that people who’ve opened their celestial eye can see through people’s internal organs and can diagnose illnesses. Is that true?”

“Of course it’s true!”

“Then… then can Master look at me and see if there’s anything wrong with my body? Especially look at the issue about having children.”

Zhou Yulang tilted back his neck, turned his head around, and said: “I generally don’t reveal this ability. But it’s you—you’re a good person. I’ll help you.”

“Thank you, Master.” Wan Suxin stood up. “Do I… do I need to take off my outer clothing?”

Zhou Yulang frowned and said sternly: “Take off clothes for what! People who’ve opened their celestial eye can see through walls! Asking people to undress is being a hooligan!”

Wan Suxin smiled and said, “Look at what you’re saying, that’s too serious. Then how should I cooperate with you?”

“Just stand still and don’t move.”

Zhou Yulang’s eyes rolled around, using his peripheral vision to examine Wan Suxin up and down, thinking to himself: Good figure, good breasts, very alluring.

“Your lungs have a problem.” After looking for a while, Zhou Yulang said.

“Right! Last year I even had acute pneumonia.”

“Mm. Also, your digestive system doesn’t seem too good…”

“Very accurate. My appetite isn’t good. Master, look at my reproductive system—children, the key is children.”

“Don’t rush. Mm… your uterus is very good, thick, full, it’s just… it’s just…”

“It’s just what?”

“It’s just… that’s right, that’s right…” Zhou Yulang struggled to roll his eyelids and said.

“What?”

“You sit down. Listen as I slowly explain to you.”

Wan Suxin quickly sat on the stool.

“Remember when I calculated your eight characters, I told you the children star enters the tomb?”

“Remember, remember.”

Zhou Yulang showed a hesitant appearance of wanting to speak but stopping: “Your physical characteristics… exactly match the characteristics of your eight characters…”

“What do you mean? Master, speak plainly.” Wan Suxin waited anxiously.

“Ha ha… this… some words… I… I study the Way, it’s inconvenient for me to speak…”

“Master, you’re a living bodhisattva. You’ve helped me so much, you know all about my affairs. What’s inconvenient to say? Master, speak frankly.”

Zhou Yulang’s face reddened, as if a shy scholar being flirted with. He bit his lip and said: “That… that place of yours is a bit narrow… no wonder the eight characters show that it must be burst open, otherwise you can’t have children.”

Wan Suxin’s face also suddenly turned red, but after all, she’d mixed in the business world. After adjusting, she said naturally: “Master, you’re right. Actually, we’re all experienced people, there’s nothing we can’t talk about.”

Zhou Yulang quickly said: “No, no. You’re an experienced person, I haven’t experienced it yet.”

Wan Suxin felt embarrassed: “Sorry, Master. I didn’t know you weren’t married yet. Ha ha. A great master like you, I thought you’d married long ago.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Those who don’t know aren’t blamed. Those who don’t know aren’t blamed.”

“Then… I’ll continue. That place really is very tight. In your presence, you’re the master, so I won’t be shy. I lived with my husband for seven years, and every time he… after every time, he said I was like a virgin…”

Zhou Yulang felt heat throughout his body, quickly crossed his legs, right leg over left, to conceal the mystery below. Then he said: “Stop there, stop there. You understand, that’s enough. Let’s not discuss this topic anymore.”

Wan Suxin smiled and said, “I didn’t expect Master to be so shy.”

“Ha ha. I don’t understand matters between men and women, don’t understand.”

Wan Suxin examined this twenty-something fortune-telling youth again. Suddenly her eyes brightened—this person had proper features, emotional eyebrows. If he weren’t blind, he’d truly be a fine-looking talent. Such a pity, such a pity.

“By the way, Master, now that I’m divorced, what kind of man should I look for that would be suitable?”

“Mm.” Zhou Yulang nodded. “Pardon my directness, your fate is an old husband matched with young wife fate.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you must find someone older than you.”

“Older? How much older?”

“About two decades.”

Wan Suxin was so shocked she nearly fell from her chair: “Twenty years? Twenty years older? Am I looking for a father or a husband?”

Zhou Yulang said nothing.

Wan Suxin felt she’d lost her composure and quickly collected herself: “Master, you’re not joking with me, right?”

“Of course not!” Zhou Yulang said seriously. “This is fate. Since I’ve seen it, I must tell you truthfully. Otherwise, if I just say nice-sounding things, that’s not fortune-telling, that’s talking nonsense. What good would that do you?”

Wan Suxin broke into a cold sweat: “Heavens, finding a fifty-something old man, what kind of fate is this? Is my fate so bitter?”

“What is bitter? What is joyful? Being able to find someone who’ll love you for life is happiness. Men at forty are flowers in bloom, women at forty are bean curd dregs. In ancient times, which wealthy household didn’t still take concubines at forty or fifty and live quite well?”

“Heavens, I have no other way out?”

“This is the way out. Human life rarely reaches seventy—think about twenty years from now, you’ll be fifty, your children will be grown, your life will be almost complete. Being able to live happily with one person for twenty years, isn’t that family bliss?”

“Alas. My head hurts to death. Why is my fate like this!”

“Don’t be unwilling. Even if you want to find one, you might not be able to. Think about it—people in their fifties basically all have grown children. Finding a divorced one isn’t so easy.”

“Then I’d rather not look for one this lifetime!”

“Foolish words. You’re a woman with no children under your knees. What will you do in the future? Even if you have lots of money, what use is it? You still need to find someone, have a child, so you’ll have someone to care for you in old age.”

“Aiya, my head hurts to death.”

Zhou Yulang smiled: “Don’t let your head hurt. The most important matter hasn’t been mentioned yet.”

“What else is there?”

“Before marriage, you must first dispel the bad luck, burst open the tomb vault. Only then can the children star become active. Otherwise, once you marry, you still won’t bear children, and that will also be trouble!”

“Ah? Can’t my future husband do the bursting?”

Zhou Yulang pursed his lips: “Did I not explain clearly, or did you not understand? What does ‘dispelling bad luck’ mean? It means before officially marrying, finding someone with powerful eight characters to help you burst it open. Only then can you officially marry. If you confuse marriage with dispelling bad luck, what’s the point of dispelling bad luck!”

Wan Suxin helplessly lowered her head: “Heavens. I might as well become a nun. What evil did I commit in my past life…”

Zhou Yulang secretly laughed to himself: You owed me from your past life.

Qi Batou was also distracted those days, frequently running to Zhou Yulang’s house.

“Master, let’s chat more.”

“Chat about what? Go home and wait. The fated connection won’t come until next spring.”

“Don’t, Master. Let’s chat. I just like hearing you talk.”

“Ha ha. So many fortune-seekers come to me all day long, my mouth is dry from talking.”

“Well then, Master, I’ll buy some wine and food, let’s get together tonight.”

“Don’t, absolutely don’t. I study the Way and never drink alcohol.”

Each time, Qi Batou returned disappointed.

Si Batou and I saw this and worried in our hearts: “This can’t continue. We must save Old Seven—he’s possessed!”

“How about we investigate Zhou the blind man’s background?” Si Batou said.

“The key is how to investigate!”

“How about tomorrow you pretend to seek a fortune and have him read for you, to test his abilities?”

I nodded, then suddenly wanted to laugh: “What’s happened to us Jiang Xiang Sect people now? We’ve told fortunes for the world for three hundred years, and now we’re all running to seek others’ fortune-telling. Ha ha.”

“Karma, karma. Zu Ye was right—karma.” Si Batou laughed heartily.

“Thinking back to Zu Ye’s glory days, heroic and spirited, with feathered fan… feathered fan what?” I said halfway and got stuck.

Si Batou laughed wildly: “Feathered fan and silk scarf, laughing and talking, the Huidao Sect turned to ashes and smoke! History repeating itself, perhaps they should laugh at me, prematurely gray. Life is but a dream, dreams are but life. Old Seven once exploited the pain of a Nationalist officer’s wife longing for her husband, setting up traps and schemes. Now he’s trapped by emotion—isn’t this retribution?”

Si Batou’s lament filled me with melancholy. When we deceived people back then, did we ever think about the marks’ suffering and desolation? Heaven’s evil can still be endured, but self-inflicted evil cannot be survived. Old Seven, clever his whole life, now confused for a moment—is it timing? Fate? Karma.

The next day, former Jiang Xiang Sect Wu Batou knocked on Zhou Yulang’s door.

“Greetings, Master Zhou!” I called loudly upon entering.

“Who is it?”

“Ha ha ha ha. I’ve long heard of Master’s great name. Today I’ve come especially to visit.”

Zhou Yulang rolled his eyes: “May I ask your honorable name?”

“Liu Tianliang.”

“Ha ha ha ha. Don’t know you.”

“Master, whether we know each other doesn’t matter. I’ve come today to seek instruction.”

“What does Mr. Liu wish to ask about?”

“I wish to seek Master Zhou’s guidance on metaphysics and numerology.”

“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare. I’m just a blind fortune-teller wandering the world, making a living. How dare I accept the word ‘guidance’!”

I smiled and said: “Master Zhou is too modest. We’re all people of the same path. Mutual exchange is only natural.”

“Ha ha. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. My master instructed me in advance that practitioners of the same path must not show off their learning. I’m afraid Mr. Liu will be disappointed today.”

“Not at all, not at all. I’ve simply admired Master’s reputation for so long and wish to ask a question or two. If Master refuses, I simply won’t leave. You’ll have to feed me too. Ha ha ha ha.”

Zhou Yulang’s eyeballs turned, knowing I came with ill intent. He smiled and said: “In that case, I’m honored! Please come in!”

Just as I walked into the room, he suddenly said: “No, you must go back out!”

I was stunned: “Ah?”

“Ha ha. Take this sign out with you and hang it on my door, telling people I’m not seeing clients today, so no one disturbs our discussion of the classics!” He felt around and handed me a paper sign.

“Fine.” I helped him hang up the sign and returned to the room.

“Does Mr. Liu also understand metaphysics and numerology?” Zhou Yulang asked.

“I wouldn’t say I understand—I just enjoy it. Unfortunately, my natural talent is limited. Although I’ve read many books, I still haven’t grasped the essentials, which is why I’ve come to seek instruction.” I said.

“Ha ha. Mr. Liu is too modest. If you have any questions, please ask. If I can answer, I’ll spare no effort.”

I thought for a moment, then suddenly asked him: “Where are you from, sir?”

He was startled, because my question had nothing to do with numerology: “This… ha ha ha ha. People of the rivers and lakes consider everywhere home. Aren’t Mr. Liu and I from the same place now?”

“Where are you from?” I looked at him coldly and asked again.

“Ancestral home is Tianjin.”

“Oh, a good place. Then why don’t you have a Tianjin accent?”

“Alas, I lost both parents young and followed my uncle and aunt wandering east and west. I lost my native accent long ago.”

Although he answered fluently, I knew he was lying. After all, I’d followed Zu Ye for so many years. When he spoke just now, his right hand suddenly slapped his leg. This subconscious action represented him thinking—lightning-fast thinking. But Zu Ye had said: “As long as one unrelated bodily movement appears, it means he’s fabricating a lie.”

“I see. Tianjin is a place of outstanding people and spirits. No wonder it produced a great talent like Master Zhou.” I said.

“Too kind. All my abilities came from my master. Master and disciple are like father and son. He is my second parent.”

I suddenly felt the person before me was no ordinary person. He answered fluently with great emotion. This kind of scene only appeared among the A’Bao group of the Jiang Xiang Sect. This feeling was very familiar—so familiar my scalp tingled and my heart trembled. I couldn’t describe this feeling. It was strange, terrifying.

“I’ve heard people say that blind masters discussing fate always speak of disaster when they encounter conflict. Is there really such a saying?” I began questioning.

He seemed to sense I’d come to challenge him. He raised his head, fearless: “Speaking of disaster at every conflict—that’s foolish.”

I said: “I’d like to hear the details.”

He said: “Fortune-telling ultimately uses the five elements method. All calculations are based on the five elements’ mutual generation and conquest. Ordinary fortune-tellers all know the principle of the five elements’ mutual conquest—so-called metal conquers wood, wood conquers earth, earth conquers water, water conquers fire, fire conquers metal. So once they see conflicting five elements, they say this shows disaster. For example, if a man has metal destiny and a woman has wood destiny, if both come asking about marriage, the fortune-teller will say metal and wood conflict, this marriage probably isn’t good, and so on.”

“Isn’t that correct?” I countered.

“It’s not incorrect—it’s completely wrong! The ancients said: When metal is strong and gets fire, it becomes a vessel; when wood is strong and gets metal, it becomes a pillar; when water is strong and gets earth, it becomes a pond; when fire is strong and gets water, they complement each other; when earth is strong and gets wood, it achieves circulation. The five elements’ generation and conquest lie in balance. If one doesn’t distinguish strength and weakness and recklessly discusses generation and conquest, isn’t that foolish?”

Zhou the blind man’s words truly shocked me. These words were the essence of the five elements method. Back when Zu Ye played with the five elements, he greatly praised these sentences. Moreover, he explained them to the brothers through vivid, simple examples.

This was the dialectics of the five elements, the soul of numerology.

Ordinary people only knew that metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal, and metal conquers wood, wood conquers earth, earth conquers water, water conquers fire, fire conquers metal—this was the basic principle of the five elements’ generation and conquest. Most people learned up to here and stopped, thinking that “generation” was good and auspicious, while “conquest” was bad and unfavorable.

Understanding the five elements’ generation and conquest this way truly led one astray. The application of the five elements emphasized a kind of balance. Balance brings harmony, and harmony achieves completeness.

Metal generates water, but excessive generation becomes conquest, just like a mother loving her son—if she indulges him blindly, that’s no longer love but ruining him. So the ancients said, metal generates water, but too much metal makes water turbid. “Metal generates beautiful water” means when the two substances have equivalent energy, water relies on metal for generation, and metal gets water for clarity. The two complement each other, endlessly generating, creating the beautiful image of metal generating beautiful water, beautiful water flowing abundantly. If there’s too much metal and too little water, like a pile of scrap copper and rotten iron piled together, the water below the iron pile will become turbid and smelly.

Water generates wood follows the same principle—too much water makes wood float. Appropriate water can help plants grow robustly, but if the water volume is excessive, endlessly irrigating, the trees simply can’t bear it. The tree roots get washed out, finally uprooted, and the wood floats in the water, becoming dead wood.

Wood generates fire, but too much wood smothers fire. This principle is easy to verify and understand. When starting a fire, one must add wood gradually as the flames grow stronger. Otherwise, if you pile it all on at once, not only won’t the fire intensify, but it will cause oxygen deprivation and the flames will instantly extinguish.

Fire generates earth, but too much fire scorches earth. Burning forests to clear land, the great fire burns away trees, and the charcoal ash can become fertile soil. But if the fire continues endlessly, always scorching one plot of land, that land will be burned to char, the soil nutrients exhausted, becoming useless, unable to grow anything.

Earth generates metal, but too much earth buries metal. When earth is too thick and heavy, gold and jade will be buried, never seeing daylight.

This is the principle of excessive generation becoming conquest.

Similarly, the five elements’ mutual conquest also follows the principle of balance.

Fire conquers metal, but when metal is strong and gets fire, it becomes a vessel. Fire does conquer metal, but if this conquest maintains balance, it becomes help—not harm, but benefit. It’s like a father’s control over his son. This kind of paternal education and restraint is to eliminate the son’s wildness, making him learned and reasonable, learning benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust, finally growing into an adult. If the father ignores his son and lets him grow wild, it’s like a tree—without pruning branches or girdling bark, the tree will grow wildly in all directions, with lateral shoots and messy leaves consuming too much energy. Ultimately, the main trunk won’t be sturdy, unable to grow into a towering tree or become timber material.

Therefore, the ancients spoke these supreme truths: When metal is strong and gets fire, it becomes a vessel; when wood is strong and gets metal, it becomes a pillar; when water is strong and gets earth, it becomes a pond; when fire is strong and gets water, they complement each other; when earth is strong and gets wood, it achieves circulation.

Thus, appropriate “conquest” is a kind of generation, while excessive “generation” is actually a kind of conquest. This is the dialectical method of the five elements.

When Zu Ye taught us these principles back then, my companions and I were stunned: Truly miraculous! Truly miraculous!

Now, facing Zhou the blind man, he spoke these five elements dialectical principles without hesitation, without any thought, making me look at this blind man with new respect.

I thought of another question and asked him: “I’ve heard blind masters have a formula, and with this formula they can determine when someone will die, accurate without error?”

“Ha ha ha ha!” Zhou Yulang laughed toward heaven. “Does Mr. Liu believe this?”

“I’ve never seen it, which is why I’m asking Master Zhou for instruction! Please don’t hesitate to enlighten me!”

“This is all hearsay and rumors in the martial world! China now has one billion people. How many different eight character combinations are there in total? Each eight character set represents over a thousand people. If one could determine from a formula that someone would die on a certain day, wouldn’t that mean those thousand-plus people with the same eight characters would all die together that day? Anyone could figure out this is impossible with their toes! Forget these big examples—even twins don’t necessarily die on the same day and might differ by many years. Therefore, Mr. Liu needn’t be superstitious about the so-called blind master formulas. Blind masters can form their own school not because of some iron-clad formulas, but because their fate-calculating methods differ from those circulating in the market. They use more nayin and spiritual influences. Also, because blind people can’t see things and aren’t bound by external objects, they can calm their minds to summarize experience. That’s why blind masters generally calculate fortunes more accurately than sighted people. I don’t know if Mr. Liu is satisfied with this answer?”

When an expert extends their hand, you know if they have skill or not. “This kid’s five elements mastery is very high,” I thought to myself.

“I’ve learned much, I’ve learned much.” I cupped my fists in salute.

“You’re too kind, too kind. Does Mr. Liu have any other questions?”

“No more, no more. Master is formidable, formidable. I’m completely convinced. That Master can bring blessings to the local people here is truly their great fortune.” I wanted to flee in defeat.

“So we end here today?” Zhou Yulang couldn’t conceal his victorious joy.

“Yes, yes. Sorry to disturb you, sorry to disturb you.” I stood up to leave.

Zhou Yulang also felt for his stool and stood up unsteadily.

I quickly said: “Please stay, please stay.”

“I won’t see you out, won’t see you out.” He said with a smile.

I suddenly tilted my body sideways, making a falling motion with lightning speed.

Zhou Yulang didn’t expect I’d pull this move. His body shuddered, his hands instinctively reaching up to catch, but he immediately regained composure.

Just this one movement, a movement so subtle as to be almost undetectable, I caught it. I laughed loudly in my heart: Grandson! You’ve finally slipped up. Grandpa here once pretended to be blind!

In that moment, I felt fortunate for the first time about joining the Jiang Xiang Sect. When I first joined, Zu Ye’s first social practice assignment for me was pretending to be blind to deceive old ladies. For decades, I’d been bothered by this. Today I suddenly felt relieved.

In a moment of stunned realization, I understood, and Zhou Yulang understood too.

I smiled slightly and said: “Master Zhou, take good care of yourself.”

Hearing the implication in my words, he wasn’t to be outdone: “Living by one’s abilities—when soldiers come, generals block; when water comes, earth covers.”

“Mm! Farewell!”

“Won’t see you out!”

I returned home feeling light and called over Si Batou and Qi Batou.

“Ha ha ha ha.” I stood in the middle of the room laughing endlessly.

My laughter left Si Batou and Qi Batou looking confused: “What’s the meaning?”

“Zhou Yulang is a fraud!” I said loudly.

“Tell us quickly.” Si Batou looked at me and said.

I told them about my battle of wits with Zhou Yulang.

After hearing, Si Batou laughed heartily: “Old Seven, did you hear that?”

“I still don’t quite believe it.” Wang Jiaxian scratched his head and said, “So many people, so many iron-clad accurate predictions—if he’s a fraud, wouldn’t he have been exposed long ago?”

I said: “You’re confused, Old Seven. Zu Ye led us in deception for so many years. Did he get exposed?”

Wang Jiaxian nodded: “But why? He doesn’t seek wealth or beauty. He’s never taken a cent from me.”

“Old Seven, I think you’ve really gone senile!” Si Batou also got anxious. “Quick strike, slow deception—you’ve forgotten our ancestors’ formula. He’s playing the long game to catch the big fish!”

“Then what do we do? Expose him?” Wang Jiaxian said.

“Expose him!” Si Batou said fiercely.

“Don’t rush!” I thought and said, “I always feel this matter isn’t so simple. Think about it—since the Huidao Sect was destroyed in 1952, for so many years almost no one has stirred up trouble. This Zhou Yulang suddenly ran from the north to our place, deliberately became Longfeng’s disciple, intentionally made a name for himself, and now has Old Seven hooked. Could there be something we can’t think of…”

“You mean…” Si Batou fell into thought.

“I’m just worried.” I bit my teeth and said.

Wang Jiaxian also sobered up: “No! I must quickly remarry! My wife is wonderful. To be honest, these days away from her, I’ve felt terrible.”

“Don’t rush, don’t rush. Even if you remarry, Fourth Brother and I must go plead your case. Otherwise, you won’t even get through the door.” I said.

“Damn! Damn! Fell for it, fell for it! So embarrassing, so embarrassing!” Wang Jiaxian cursed repeatedly.

Si Batou and I both laughed: “Knowing it’s embarrassing now isn’t too late. If Zhou Yulang really matched you with an old husband-young wife pairing, who knows what disaster would have happened!”

“Aiya, two elder brothers, stop shaming me. I was just desperate for a son!”

“Mm, desperate for a son—no son came, but you got a grandson!” I said with a smile.

“Really a grandson! Zhou grandson! Pretend-blind grandson!” Wang Jiaxian cursed again, then said, “Could he really be targeting the Jiang Xiang Sect?”

“I’m just worried.” I said.

“That’s ancient history. So many years have passed. Could there still be unresolved grudges?” Wang Jiaxian said.

Si Batou blinked: “That’s hard to say. We’ve offended so many people. There might be one with great determination who’s been waiting for a chance to take revenge on us old guys.”

“What hatred could last this long?” I murmured.

“The hatred of killing one’s father, the hatred of stealing one’s wife—these never die until death.” Si Batou said.

We all fell silent.

Fortune-Telling Fraud Meets Bloody Disaster

Wan Suxin once again knocked on Zhou Yulang’s door.

“Master, last time you said I should find someone with pure yin eight characters to dispel my bad luck. To be honest, I have several lovers, but none have pure yin eight characters. What should I do?” Wan Suxin said worriedly.

Zhou Yulang chuckled: “You just never think clearly. If these previous lovers of yours could help dispel your bad luck, wouldn’t you and your husband have had children long ago?”

Wan Suxin was stunned: “Right. Hehe, I was confused for a moment.”

Zhou Yulang laughed to himself: You’re not confused for a moment—you’ve been confused all along.

“I really can’t help with this. It depends on fate. New Year is coming soon. After the New Year, when spring arrives, your next husband will appear. You must hurry and get this bad luck dispelled.” Zhou Yulang said seriously.

“Alas, forget it, Master. I won’t look anymore. Just thinking about marrying a fifty-something person makes my heart panic. Forget it, forget it. I accept my fate. I won’t look anymore. Living alone is fine.” Wan Suxin said.

Zhou Yulang pursed his lips, his eyeballs rolling wildly. After a long time, he said: “Actually… there’s one more method. I shouldn’t tell you because saying it is too immoral. But this idea would benefit you… Alas, better not say it. Forget it, forget it. Just do as you said—living alone is fine too.”

“Don’t, Master. If you save someone, save them completely; if you send Buddha, send him to the west. Since there’s a method, why not say it?” Wan Suxin was somewhat urgent.

“Alas…” Zhou Yulang sighed deeply. “Sinful, sinful. However I act, it’s sinful. If I don’t help you, it’s sinful; if I help you, it’s also sinful. This profession is truly difficult…”

“Aiya, Master, please tell me quickly.” Wan Suxin pleaded. “Master, Master!” She reached out and shook Zhou Yulang’s arm.

The coquettish pleading, gentle pushing and pulling, fragrant breath made Zhou Yulang’s whole body heat up. A surge of energy exploded from his dantian, instantly filling his entire body.

“Fine, fine. Sit properly and listen to me.” Zhou Yulang again crossed his legs, forcefully suppressing his lustful fire. “You don’t want to live with a fifty-year-old, right?”

“I’d rather die.”

“Then do you want a child?”

“Of course! Who doesn’t want children? Boy or girl, I’d love them. I dream of being pregnant.”

Zhou Yulang smiled: “Then it’s easy. After you dispel the bad luck, if that fifty-something person appears, if he also fancies you, you pretend to marry him. After bearing a child, you kick him out, isn’t that it? Courts generally award nursing infants to the mother. This way you have a child and don’t have to live with him for life. After divorce, you can live alone or find a lover. Anyway, with a child, someone to care for you in old age, and money, what’s there to fear?”

“This… this…” Wan Suxin was confused.

“Of course I don’t support you doing this! I didn’t plan to say it—you forced me. I just pity you too much, so I thought of this desperate measure. Using this strategy will damage my yang lifespan! Of course, if you meet that fifty-something person and actually fancy him, then you don’t need this worst strategy. You can grow old together—that’s the most perfect ending and what I most want to see. Think it over carefully.”

Wan Suxin was stunned for a long time, finally saying: “If I really marry a fifty-something person, I definitely can’t divorce. Doing that would kill him. What person over fifty could withstand such a blow?”

“Well said! Either don’t marry, but once married, must support each other until old age! This is the way of being human!” Zhou Yulang said.

“Mm. However… what you just said inspired me. You’re a fortune-teller—some things can’t be hidden from you. I’ve had especially many romantic prospects since childhood. Honestly, growing up, wherever I go there’s always a group pursuing me…”

“Aiya, why are you telling me this? These are all your private matters…”

“No, no! Listen to me. Youth is just these ten-plus years. Tell me… tell me… suppose after I marry and have an affair, my husband won’t discover it, right? He won’t harm me, right?”

Zhou Yulang laughed inside—already thinking about cuckolding her future husband. But his mouth spoke righteously: “I advise you to avoid such things! I do have disaster-resolving talismans, but can’t do this. If I help you, I’ll lose yang lifespan.”

“Hehe, I’m just saying. I’m not that kind of person. If I really fancy my future husband, I’ll definitely stay faithful to him for life.”

“That’s best.”

After Wan Suxin thought through all this, she became anxious again: “Master, where do I find someone with pure yin eight characters?”

“This really depends on fate. I truly can’t help.”

“Think of another way. You definitely have a way. Are there any talismans or something?”

“Really none. You must wait for fate. I can’t go around asking people’s birth dates, can I?”

Wan Suxin felt disappointed, then suddenly said: “Is dispelling bad luck really so important? Must I dispel it? If I don’t, can I really not get pregnant?”

Zhou Yulang frowned and said: “Anyway, this is how my master taught me, and this is how fortune-telling books write it. Believe it or not, it’s up to you.”

“I… I don’t disbelieve you. I just find this matter too bizarre.”

“Bizarre? What in the world isn’t bizarre? Could you imagine your ex-husband having a child with someone else?”

“I understand! I’ll keep looking.”

Zhou Yulang said: “There’s one more thing I must remind you—this month you encounter the wealth disaster influence.”

“What wealth disaster influence?”

“The wealth-breaking influence.”

“Ah? I’ll lose wealth? How much?”

“Not much. But you must lose some.”

“How to avoid it?”

“I can only give you a talisman to minimize it.”

“Thank you, Master.”

Several days later at noon, Wan Suxin ran back: “Master, it came true! Really came true!”

Zhou Yulang said: “What came true?”

“Lost wealth!”

“How much?”

“Three hundred.”

“Tell me.”

“Yesterday afternoon, I went to a friend’s to play mahjong. I won two hundred yuan. On the way home at night, someone followed me. In an alley, a guy held a knife to my back demanding money. I was terrified and gave him all the money in my pocket. He took it and ran. I’ve already reported it. The public security bureau is investigating. You calculated so accurately.”

Zhou Yulang sighed: “The crackdown is so severe, yet someone still dares commit crimes. Absolutely lawless!”

“Yes, the crackdown isn’t enough. Should kill all these thugs!”

“Better quickly find someone with pure yin eight characters to dispel the bad luck. The tomb vault won’t produce without bursting, fate won’t come without bursting. Otherwise unlucky things will keep happening.”

Wan Suxin’s face was full of worry: “Where do I find one?”

“There is one person, but absolutely not possible.”

“Who?”

Zhou Yulang helplessly shook his head: “Absolutely not possible.”

Wan Suxin was extremely anxious: “Just tell me.”

“Me.”

“Ah?”

Zhou Yulang nodded: “I was born in the Xinhai year, Guisi month, Dingyou day, Guimao hour. Pure yin eight characters. But I can’t do this. My master said long ago that those who study the Way cannot engage in matters between men and women.”

Wan Suxin looked at Zhou Yulang, several years younger than herself. That day Zhou wore a red V-neck sweater, his hair combed neatly, appearing refined and extraordinarily distinguished. Wan Suxin’s heart suddenly thumped: In all her years in the business world, she’d encountered wine-sack rice-bag officials, hypocritical cunning nouveau riche, newly sea-plunged state enterprise employees, but never touched this kind of world-isolated fortune-teller. This kind of fortune-teller hidden in the countryside had no rotten copper stench, but more an otherworldly immortal air—pure thoughts, high realm, clean body, a unique flavor.

Wan Suxin’s imagination ran wild. For women with abundant food and clothing, novelty was always the first pursuit.

When men pursue women, it’s a wall; when women pursue men, it’s a sheet of paper. Moreover, this was all Zhou Yulang’s trap. Several days later one evening, Zhou Yulang finally, under the oath of “if I don’t enter hell, who will,” compassionately helped Wan Suxin “dispel her bad luck.”

Wan Suxin found it hard to imagine why a virginal young blind man was so naturally skilled in bed—clouds and rain tumbling, phoenixes overturning, both floating toward immortality, half dead with pleasure.

The two were in the midst of their tumult when suddenly, outside “crash,” something seemed to have climbed over the wall.

Zhou Yulang and Wan Suxin froze, listening intently.

With a boom, the door was kicked open. Wan Suxin’s husband Jiang Zhigao rushed in wielding a cleaver.

“Ah!” Zhou Yulang and Wan Suxin screamed.

“Slut! I’ll kill you both!” Jiang Zhigao raised his knife and chopped down.

Zhou Yulang leaped from the bed, his form flashing, dodging the blade. He grabbed the flashlight from the bed and desperately threw it at Jiang Zhigao.

In his fury, Jiang Zhigao didn’t dodge at all, charging straight ahead. Zhou Yulang, naked, jumped onto the windowsill, quickly opened the window, and awkwardly tumbled out.

Wan Suxin was puzzled: “He’s not blind…”

“You’re the blind one!” Jiang Zhigao chopped toward Wan Suxin’s neck. Wan Suxin instinctively raised her hand to block—four fingers were chopped off.

Wan Suxin screamed in pain: “Husband, don’t kill me, don’t kill me, don’t kill me.”

The word “husband” softened Jiang Zhigao’s heart. He looked at Wan Suxin, then ran out with his knife.

Outside, Zhou Yulang frantically unbolted the front door and ran out.

Under the night sky, a thrilling and spectacular scene unfolded. In the moonlight, the fortune-telling blind man ran naked with wide-open eyes, chased relentlessly by a man wielding a cleaver.

“Help! Help!”

“I’ll chop you! I’ll chop you!”

On the street, several small shops still had lights on. People in the shops looked toward the sounds. Good heavens, isn’t that Zhou the blind man? What happened to him?

“He’s not wearing clothes!”

“There’s another person behind him!”

“Damn, murder! Call the police!”

The two ran one after another, shouting and panting along three kilometers of street, attracting more people.

“Look, Zhou the blind man! Running with his bare ass!”

“He’s not blind—look how fast he runs, how nimble, looking all around, constantly looking back!”

“Look at that guy behind him with a knife! Call the police!”

Zhou Yulang could barely run anymore. Jiang Zhigao’s cursing was right at his ear. He could even hear Jiang Zhigao’s breathing. In desperation, Zhou Yulang suddenly crouched down, hands over his head, curled into a ball. Jiang Zhigao was moving too fast to react and tripped over Zhou Yulang, stumbling and flying over Zhou Yulang’s head.

After several tumbles, Jiang Zhigao fell face-up, his cleaver flying far away. Zhou Yulang immediately pounced over, picked up the cleaver, turned to Jiang Zhigao and said: “Don’t come closer. Your wife seduced me. If you dare come closer, I’ll kill you!”

Jiang Zhigao stood up, patted the dust off his body, and said loudly: “Neighbors and folks, come look! This person isn’t blind but pretends to be blind, seduced my wife. I just caught them in bed.”

“Hooligan! Hooligan!” The surrounding people pointed at Zhou Yulang and shouted. “Hooliganism” was a charge in the old Criminal Law. During the 1980s “Strike Hard” campaign, many people engaged in improper relations between men and women were charged with this crime. Even if someone pulled out his member on the street to urinate and a woman saw it, she could accuse him of hooliganism. The 1997 new Criminal Law deleted this charge.

Jiang Zhigao patted his chest: “Come! Chop here!” He stepped closer to Zhou Yulang.

Zhou Yulang was utterly flustered, constantly retreating: “Don’t come closer.”

Suddenly Zhou Yulang tripped over the curb behind him, lost his balance. Jiang Zhigao seized the opportunity to rush over and punched Zhou Yulang square in the face. Zhou Yulang fell to the ground with a thud.

Jiang Zhigao seized the cleaver and raised it.

“Don’t! Don’t kill me! Murder is illegal!” Zhou Yulang pleaded.

“Right! Killing you like this is too easy!” Jiang Zhigao thought about it, threw away the cleaver, and picked up a brick from the roadside.

“What are you doing?” Zhou Yulang asked in terror.

“I’ll smash you to death!” Jiang Zhigao raised the brick and smashed it toward Zhou Yulang’s face. “Smack!” “Smack!”… Once, twice, three times. “I’ll let you pretend to be blind! I’ll let you seduce my wife!”

After several bricks, Zhou Yulang’s nose broke, his brow bone was smashed, and finally even his eyeballs were shocked out, flowing out white and gooey. Zhou the blind man became truly blind.

“Police are coming!” Someone in the crowd shouted loudly. Several police cars roared up.

Several months later, a massive public trial was held in our city.

Jiang Zhigao was sentenced to life imprisonment for intentionally causing serious injury;

Zhou Yulang was sentenced to life imprisonment for fraud and hooliganism;

Sun Daqiang was sentenced to twelve years imprisonment for fraud and robbery;

Wan Suxin was sentenced to three years imprisonment for hooliganism.

During the investigation of this major case, the public security bureau also found several of us old Jiang Xiang Sect guys to collect evidence.

Si Batou, Qi Batou, and I simultaneously received notices to report to the public security bureau. At the time, we didn’t know what was happening. Anyway, over these years, whenever there was a case, those of us with records would be screened. We were used to it.

“Were you gentlemen all once members of the Jiang Xiang Sect?” a young policeman asked us.

“Yes, yes. But after 1952, we never did bad things again.”

“Ha ha. Don’t panic. We’re not saying you did bad things. Today we’re asking for your help.”

“Help?”

The policeman looked around and said quietly: “My name is Zhao Yilong.”

“Oh.” The three of us looked at each other, puzzled.

“My father is Zhao Dinghai.”

As soon as these words left his mouth, our hearts skipped a beat: “Zhao Dinghai?”

Zhao Dinghai, the last Liu Batou of the Jiang Xiang Sect. Zhao Dinghai and Fan Yifei were both Xiao Jiao under Muzi Lian back then. After Xiao Liuzi was killed by Qian Yuelin using the poison formula, Zu Ye turned the situation to his advantage, pulling out Fan Yifei who was in cahoots with San Batou. Later, Zu Ye executed Fan Yifei and around 1951 appointed the highly skilled Zhao Dinghai as the last Liu Batou.

After the government’s campaign against secret societies, Zhao Dinghai did labor reform for several years, then returned to his rural hometown. Since then, no contact.

Decades had passed, and the long-silent Zhao Dinghai now had a son who was a policeman, standing right before us.

Zhao Yilong smiled and said: “According to your gang’s seniority back then, I should call you all uncles.”

“Ha ha.” We smiled. “Never expected this. After so many years, is your father well?”

“Very well. Eats well, strong as an ox. After Father reformed himself back then, he returned home to farm honestly. Later he married Mother. I’m the fifth child, with two older sisters and two older brothers above me. From childhood, Father taught us martial arts. Later, after the college entrance exam was restored, I got into police academy. After graduation, Father helped me find Uncle Zeng Jingwu, who retired from the Provincial Public Security Department. That’s how I was arranged into our city’s police bureau.” Zhao Yilong said.

After hearing his words, we sighed with emotion. Chief Zeng had truly been good to us Jiang Xiang Sect brothers. Not only when Zu Ye was alive did the two work together with mutual trust, but even after Zu Ye’s death, he still took extra care of the brothers.

During the Cultural Revolution, when he could barely protect himself, he still spoke up for us: “These people aren’t bad. They made mistakes before, but after government reform, they’re all good people now. We can’t deny their status as poor and lower-middle peasants because of past mistakes. They too were victims of the old society.”

Over all these years, Zeng Jingwu always cared about the fate of Jiang Xiang Sect descendants, not letting us take the crooked path again, not letting us make mistakes again. He was someone who completely witnessed the Jiang Xiang Sect’s rise and fall. He understood Zu Ye’s good intentions in using death to atone. Just recently, I received a letter from him, detailing questions about my life, my family, my children’s situations.

“Three uncles, which of you is Uncle Wang Jiaxian?” Zhao Yilong asked.

Old Seven looked at me and said: “I am.”

“Uncle Wang, during your gang’s internal conflict back then, was there someone called Zhou Tianlei?”

“Yes, yes. He was from the Northern Faction, a disciple of Northern Faction Grand Master Qian Yuelin.”

“Mm. This fortune-telling Zhou the blind man is Zhou Tianlei’s son.”

“What?” Si Batou and I stood up in shock.

Zhao Yilong looked at us: “Uncles, don’t get excited. During your gang’s internal conflict back then, supposedly Uncle Wang leaked information midway, which allowed your boss Zu Ye to discover the Northern Faction joining with the Western Faction to rebel. Finally, Qian Yuelin and his subordinates were all killed by Zu Ye. Is this what happened?”

I thought and said: “Not entirely. Back then, Zu Ye himself also sensed something. Of course, Uncle Wang’s righteous deed further confirmed Zu Ye’s deduction.”

Zhao Yilong said: “The problem is here. Uncle Wang initially made a blood oath with Qian Yuelin and others, then suddenly turned traitor. This move was good for Zu Ye but cost Qian Yuelin and his disciples their lives. This Zhou Yulang is supposedly Zhou Tianlei’s orphan, from Baoding. He came south to our city for revenge.”

I felt dizzy: “They say a gentleman’s revenge is never too late even after ten years, but this is too long—over thirty years have passed. Moreover, if we calculate from Zhou Tianlei’s death, his son Zhou Yulang should be nearly forty. But this Zhou the blind man is only in his twenties.”

Zhao Yilong smiled: “He really is nearly forty. His ID is forged. But this person looks young. Without public security investigation data as proof, no one would think he’s nearly forty. This person has been engaged in superstitious fraud activities for years. His other accomplice, the robber who cooperated with him to rob Wan Suxin, is called Sun Daqiang, also a fraud. The two have been partners in deception for many years.”

“Oh, so that’s it.” We suddenly understood. “No wonder we always felt Zhou the blind man wasn’t ordinary. He had quite the Jiang Xiang legacy style.”

“Mm. These two came to our city having already mastered information about you Batous. He confessed that starting last year, they began scouting our city. They knew Uncle Wang’s address and family situation inside out. He deliberately became Longfeng’s disciple to quickly build his reputation using Longfeng’s name, attracting your attention. He knew Uncle Wang desperately wanted a son, so he used this sinister move, making Uncle Wang divorce, then planning to introduce Wan Suxin to Uncle Wang. Once Uncle Wang and Wan Suxin united, he would notify Wan Suxin’s husband Jiang Zhigao by anonymous letter, letting this hothead Jiang Zhigao direct his anger at Uncle Wang. This is called killing with a borrowed knife.”

After hearing this, we broke into a sweat: “What a scheme. Today’s society is different from the old society. Directly chopping people with knives during the ‘Strike Hard’ campaign’s critical period would definitely trap oneself. Killing with a borrowed knife—this move is brilliant. Truly the descendant of an A’Bao.”

Zhao Yilong said: “Fortunately, Jiang Zhigao kept a careful eye on Wan Suxin’s insistence on divorce. On the surface he divorced her, but secretly had someone follow her, discovering the adultery in advance. This led to our city’s number one major case this year. According to Zhou Yulang’s plan, after he performed the so-called ‘bad luck dispelling’ for Wan Suxin, he would introduce her to Uncle Wang next spring. That way, Uncle Wang would have been in danger.”

Wang Jiaxian listened with pounding heart: “Vicious enough. If I’d married Wan Suxin, wouldn’t I have been cuckolded from the start? Zhou the blind man is vicious enough.”

“That’s not the most important thing. Most important is that Zhou Yulang knew Jiang Zhigao still had lingering feelings for Wan Suxin and would come looking sooner or later. Maybe even get you charged with hooliganism, and you’d truly be ruined. Under ‘Strike Hard’ high pressure, matters between men and women most easily cause trouble.” Zhao Yilong said.

Wang Jiaxian broke into cold sweat, nodding repeatedly.

“There’s one more question. Do you three uncles know someone named Huang Farong?” Zhao Yilong asked.

The three of us were stunned. Si Batou said doubtfully: “Yes. My ex-wife. She’s been dead for decades.”

“Dead for decades?” Zhao Yilong asked back.

“Right. Back then she assisted our gang’s boss in setting up schemes to fight the Japanese. Later in 1937 she was killed by the Japanese.” Si Batou said heavily.

Zhao Yilong shook his head: “That’s not right. Zhou Yulang and Sun Daqiang confessed that someone named Huang Farong told them these Jiang Xiang Sect grudges. Otherwise, Zhou Yulang couldn’t possibly know so many inside details. When his father Zhou Tianlei died, he didn’t understand things yet.”

“Right!” I said. “Even if he understood, he couldn’t possibly know so many inside details. When Zu Ye eliminated Qian Yuelin’s faction, the information was airtight. Even if people in the martial world could guess that Qian Yuelin and his disciples died at Zu Ye’s hands, they couldn’t figure out the details, much less know about Old Seven secretly informing. Over all these years, we old guys have kept tight-lipped about this matter.”

Zhao Yilong nodded: “The problem is here. Zhou Yulang and Sun Daqiang are just pawns. The person behind them is the mastermind of everything. Unfortunately, we have no leads. Zhou Yulang only knows that person is female, about thirty-something, calling herself ‘Huang Farong,’ whereabouts uncertain, taught Zhou Yulang many deception techniques.”

“Impossible, impossible!” Si Batou said loudly. “Farong was a year older than me. She’d be at least seventy-something this year!”

Zhao Yilong said: “It seems this ‘Huang Farong’ isn’t the original Huang Farong.”

“But why would she use Farong’s name to commit fraud?” Si Batou asked.

“That’s what we need to figure out.” Zhao Yilong said. “Police from three southern provinces also sent investigation notices. This person named Huang Farong is connected to a major recent financial fraud case in Guangdong. She’s the number one suspect.”

“Financial fraud?” I exclaimed.

“Right. The bank lost three million!”

“Three… million?” In the 1980s when “ten-thousand-yuan households” could dominate the countryside, hearing this number, our jaws dropped wide open.

Major Financial Fraud Case and Feng Shui Schemes

“How did they defraud it? Through fortune-telling? That’s way too much!” I asked.

Zhao Yilong chuckled: “Of course it’s not that simple, but feudal superstition is one method. Once someone’s hooked, it’s not easy to detect…”

Zhao Yilong continued explaining while we listened quietly.

Turns out Guangdong had been working on attracting investment these past two years. Several Hong Kong businessmen came over. A boss, a female secretary, and a Zhou Yi master about fifty years old formed an investment team to invest in a certain Guangdong city.

The city committee’s three leadership teams’ main cadres collectively came out to welcome them. Hong Kong businessmen—no joke. Suits and ties, briefcases and documents, awkward Mandarin, inside and out revealing capital and market professionalism and erudition.

This group claimed they wanted to contract a government guesthouse in the city, planning to transform it into a star-rated hotel integrating dining and accommodation. Supposedly this one project could create three hundred jobs and contribute four hundred thousand in annual taxes to the government.

The deputy mayor in charge of economics was overjoyed: “The government fully supports it!”

During negotiations, the Hong Kong businessman frequently consulted the Zhou Yi master: “Look at the feng shui around this guesthouse?”

The Zhou Yi master took a compass and walked several circles, saying: “Just move the guesthouse’s main entrance to face south, then Ding-Ren sits in Li Palace, great wealth will come!”

The Hong Kong businessman laughed heartily: “Now I’m relieved.”

The deputy mayor and secretaries were dumbfounded: “Boss believes in feng shui?”

The Hong Kong businessman said in broken Mandarin: “Of course! We Hong Kong people value feng shui most! I have many chain hotels in Singapore and Malaysia, every location’s feng shui was checked by the master, every location made great wealth. You tell me if I believe or not.”

At this moment, the female secretary beside the boss said: “Our Boss Wang comes from a scholarly family, loved classical Chinese studies since childhood, respects various experts. Master Liu is Boss Wang’s private feng shui consultant, very famous in Hong Kong.”

The deputy mayor listened half-believing.

Facts speak louder than eloquence. Boss Wang contracted the guesthouse for two hundred thousand yuan, renovated it thoroughly, changed the main entrance from west-facing to south-facing. The result—business boomed, customers came in endless streams. The food was also astonishingly cheap. City committee cadres pondered: with such cheap food prices, how do they profit?

“We call this steady flow! Better one person eat ten thousand times than ten thousand people eat once. Once reputation spreads, everything’s OK! Moreover, I have the master presiding—can’t go wrong!” Boss Wang said confidently.

Sure enough, the second year, the guesthouse made crazy profits. People began getting jealous.

At this time, Boss Wang started spreading word: “I want to convert the restaurant to shareholding system! Everyone makes money together! What’s the point of me alone making so much money?”

“What kind of shareholding system?” the deputy mayor asked.

“Anyone with money can invest, anyone can hold shares. When we go public, we can make tens of millions overnight. Everyone will be millionaires…”

The deputy mayor was moved. He mobilized all levels of leadership, raising five hundred thousand in government funds to participate in shares.

Boss Wang smiled and said: “You put out five hundred thousand, I’ll put out three million more. Let’s strive to go public in three years!”

Three million—this boldness, this handwriting shocked everyone.

No one expected this Boss Wang was playing empty-handed white wolf tricks. In those early reform and opening days, to activate the market, banks provided interest-free loans to entrepreneurs, even unsecured loans. This thing that seems incredible now actually happened then.

The government wanted to activate dead money in banks, exhausting methods to encourage people to borrow for entrepreneurship. Some bold people really started from scratch. More people didn’t have that courage—even if banks gave money for free, they dared not take it.

Boss Wang used the government-raised five hundred thousand as collateral, extracting three million from the bank at once, slapping it on the table: “Leaders, my three million has arrived!”

Everyone never dreamed this three million was obtained using their own five hundred thousand as collateral. Everyone raised wine cups: “Boss Wang has boldness. Let’s prosper together!”

“No problem! My master already checked. We’ll expand immediately. In three years we’ll definitely make tens of millions!”

“Formidable, formidable.” Everyone raised thumbs.

Wine half-drunk, Boss Wang suddenly said: “Should we have the master look at the leaders present?”

Everyone at the table smiled and said: “No need, no need.” But each person longed to be examined by the master.

The master smiled: “Everyone needn’t be polite. Consider it a game.” He moved close to the deputy mayor. “Look at the mayor’s palm?”

The deputy mayor half-pushed: “Look?”

“Look.”

Master Liu smiled, took the mayor’s hand: “Mayor is a filial son.”

“Correct. Ha ha.”

“Mayor has a quick temper.”

“Also right. Ha ha.”

“Mayor has two daughters.”

“Exactly!”

“Mayor has cholecystitis!”

“Amazing! Master, stop talking. Ha ha, you’re making me tremble with fear. Ha ha.”

Later, the two secretly came outside. The master said to the deputy mayor: “Mayor, what’s your birthday?”

The deputy mayor told him truthfully.

The master calculated with his fingers: “Mayor, you should be entering your luck cycle.”

“Luck cycle?”

“Right. Human life has a major luck cycle every ten years, minor luck every five years. If major luck turns good, ten years of smoothness. If minor luck turns good, five years of auspiciousness. If it doesn’t turn well, conflicts with your luck, then that’s bad.”

“How bad?”

“Lightly, losing official position. Severely, imprisonment disaster.”

Ancient fate theory had a luck-entering theory—one cycle ten years. When entering luck, one must pay special attention to several things: can’t see people with conflicting zodiac signs, can’t cover with blankets of colors that conflict with five elements, can’t attend weddings or funerals, etc. Otherwise, once luck is conflicted, ten years of bad fortune.

Of course, from ancient times to now, many who study divination have criticized this, considering it superstitious talk.

Given the master’s previous miraculous predictions, the deputy mayor was moved: “How should I enter my luck?”

“Starting tomorrow at the chen hour, you cannot see strangers. Stay home, cannot eat meat or fish, must eat vegetarian, until seven days later, then you can come out.” the master said.

“What are strangers?” the deputy mayor asked.

“Besides direct blood relatives, all are strangers.”

“Then… I hide at home for eight days?”

“Entering luck—seven days for ten years. Tell me, is it worth it?”

“Makes sense.”

The next day, the deputy mayor stayed home claiming illness.

Until five days later, the city committee secretary called: “Everyone’s run away, and you’re still holed up at home doing what!”

“What people ran away?”

“The investing Hong Kong businessmen have all disappeared!”

Originally, the deputy mayor in charge of the project would have visited the guesthouse almost daily. Unfortunately, falling for the master’s “luck-entering” trick, he gave these fraudsters five solid days of escape time.

Finally, the masses reported that the restaurant in the government guesthouse had closed, no one cooking, the building empty. Only then did the local government feel something wasn’t right.

“That female secretary beside Boss Wang is also named Huang Farong.” Zhao Yilong finally said.

We Batous listened with goosebumps: “This is big-time operations. If caught, they’d face death penalty. These Hong Kong people are truly formidable.”

“According to our investigation, these people aren’t Hong Kong people. Their Hong Kong identities are forged, materials provided to the government all fake. They’re mainland fraud gangs. This case has been listed as the province’s number one major case. Public security is pursuing it. That’s why I asked you uncles to help.”

After hearing, Si Batou said: “First, I’m certain this woman isn’t Huang Farong. Huang Farong was my ex-wife. These two brothers present also know she died long ago. Even if alive now, she’d be seventy or eighty, not this young. Second, why this woman uses Farong’s name to commit fraud, I don’t know. Why she told Zhou Yulang about Jiang Xiang Sect inside information, I also don’t know. But I’m certain this person impersonating Huang Farong definitely has deep connections with the Jiang Xiang Sect.”

Zhao Yilong said: “I’ve also heard Father speak about Jiang Xiang Sect matters. Supposedly Zu Ye personally sent people from all four cardinal direction halls to prison. Could there be fish that slipped through the net?”

We looked at each other: “No. Absolutely not!”

“Alright, let’s end here today. Sorry to trouble you all. If anything comes up, I’ll notify everyone again.”