Chapter 243
Chapter 243
I had had many dreams before, and every time I dreamed, I never realized I was dreaming.
But this time, I was perfectly aware of it.
At first, I had not been aware. But the moment that young man said his name, I knew.
I had actually dreamed of my Ancestral Master!
Although I had not finished studying Mysteries of the Six Yao, from the small portion I had learned and the parts I had read, I could tell that my Ancestral Master was undoubtedly a supreme expert who had comprehended the Great Dao.
By “supreme,” I did not mean that his arts were especially profound. After all, I had never met him, so naturally I did not know him that well.
But his understanding of the Dao, his perception of heaven, earth, and the universe, even his unique view of life and death, had shaken me to the core. It was a kind of awe I had never experienced from books compiled by other renowned masters, or even from certain ancient texts.
Moreover, when the author of Mysteries of the Six Yao organized the materials left behind by the Ancestral Master, he had included one particular hexagram in the book.
It was a divination the Ancestral Master had cast for himself. He had calculated the time of his own death, the manner of his death, and even events that would occur decades after his death.
With the Ancestral Master’s attainment and cultivation, I believed he could have avoided his own life-and-death calamity. Yet in the end, he did not. He even walked toward the fulfillment of that hexagram with absolute resolve.
That hexagram contained a very detailed line of interpretation, but even now, I still could not understand it. I read it once every day, yet I remained unable to grasp it.
However, toward the end, there was a conclusion to the interpretation: the time and manner of his death.
What was shocking was that the people who persecuted the Ancestral Master back then numbered over a hundred. But why he was persecuted was not written there.
The Ancestral Master died at the age of twenty-four. He was even younger than me when he passed.
A young man in his twenties had already reached such a level of attainment. How could anyone not be shaken by that?
“An… Ancestral Master…”
I stared at him blankly, suddenly feeling nervous.
He looked back at me, and the first words out of his mouth exposed my situation completely. “You are Two Souls in One Life. Of your parents, only one remains. It seems you have already experienced the most painful thing in life.”
I was stunned all over again.
The Ancestral Master had seen at a glance that I was Two Souls in One Life. He had even seen that only one of my parents remained.
Strictly speaking, I had two fathers and two mothers. Both fathers had passed away. One mother had also passed away. There was still one mother left, but she refused to acknowledge me…
That was what the Ancestral Master meant by only one remaining.
Like an idiot, I asked a pointless question. “How did you know…”
The Ancestral Master smiled. With a wave of his right hand, a hexagram appeared on the ground: the Fire over Water Hexagram.
This hexagram was the final one among the Sixty-four Hexagrams. There was a small story within it, roughly about a little fox crossing a river with its tail lifted high. But just as it was about to reach the bank, its tail got wet, and it failed to make it across. It symbolized that matters had not yet concluded and still needed to continue moving forward. Thus, after the final hexagram came the first of the Sixty-four Hexagrams again: the Qian Hexagram.
“This is your Birth Hexagram. I saw it from there,” the Ancestral Master said. “The fate of the first half of your life is all reflected upon it.”
I stared blankly at the hexagram, then at the Ancestral Master. “Ancestral Master, what about the fate of the second half of my life?”
The Ancestral Master shook his head. “Your Fate Pattern is extremely unusual. From ancient times until now, there has never been a recorded case of Two Souls in One Life. Therefore, there is no research or explanation concerning Two Souls in One Life. Two Souls in One Life also means the destinies of two people are involved, and those destinies will naturally conflict. I fear there is no system of numerological arts in existence that can calculate the fate of the second half of your life.”
I suddenly remembered that Seventh Master had tried to calculate the fate of both my souls, but he hadn’t been able to work out either one.
It was because of Two Souls in One Life. Even Fate Calculation, Physiognomy, and Divination couldn’t divine my future destiny.
But the Ancestral Master could divine the fate of the first half of my life.
“Ancestral Master, can you tell me what the final fate of the first half of my life will be…?”
“No.”
The Ancestral Master refused without hesitation. “Six Yao is, at its root, a method of divination. It asks whether matters are auspicious or inauspicious, not what a person’s fate will be. A person’s life should not be dictated by occult calculations. A person’s will should be governed by themselves.”
“The original purpose of techniques was to seek fortune and avoid disaster, not to indulge in superstition or blind faith. Otherwise, one becomes a believer in predestination. How, then, can a person’s will ever develop?”
I didn’t understand, so I humbly asked the Ancestral Master for guidance. “But with your techniques, I’ve only learned the barest basics, yet I’ve already divined Heaven’s secrets, and I’ve never been wrong. If I learn even a little more, wouldn’t I be able to plan without a single misstep? Since the hexagram has already revealed good or ill fortune, how could I change it?”
The Ancestral Master wagged a finger. “Completely wrong. You place too much faith in technique and neglect the Dao. What is the Dao? The lesser Dao is the principle of being human. The greater Dao is the principle that reaches the heavens and transcends life and death.”
“Technique is a minor application. The Dao is the greater use. If a person does not even understand the principle of being human, then even if he can foresee good and ill fortune, how could he possibly seek fortune and avoid disaster? If you understand the principle of being human, or even come to comprehend the principle that reaches the heavens, misfortune will naturally keep its distance from you. Why, then, must you take good and ill fortune so seriously?”
“The human will is boundless. As the saying goes, outcomes depend on human effort. If you focus too much on technique, are you not wasting your own will and courage?”
The Ancestral Master’s words were like enlightenment poured over my head. That one speech of his was worth reading ten books.
“This disciple understands. Thank you for your guidance, Ancestral Master.”
“Since you have talent, you must not waste it.”
The Ancestral Master looked at me and smiled. “Today, I shall grant you Initiation. Will you accept it?”
I swallowed. Initiation…
Wasn’t that the same as Register Conferral? Orthodox Daoism disciples all had to receive Register Conferral from their Master before they could learn the arts.
The Ancestral Master was going to pass spells on to me!
“I accept! I accept! This disciple could not ask for more!”
“What is your purpose in learning the arts?” he asked me.
I thought for a moment. I didn’t dare deceive the Ancestral Master, so I answered honestly. “My work requires me to deal with ghosts and gods. Many times, I narrowly escape death, so I want to learn real skills to protect myself.”
“But… ever since I saw the suffering in the mortal world, I’ve hoped that with what I learn, I can help the people I want to help.”
The Ancestral Master nodded and smiled. “Very honest. But to enter under my teachings, you must fulfill the following points and swear a deadly oath. If you violate it, you die.”
“First, do not betray or disgrace your family or country. Second, do not commit evil. Third, do not use the arts to indulge your desires. Fourth, do not squander your time. Fifth, do not use your skills to bully others.”
In front of the Ancestral Master, I recited the five sect rules once, then swore a deadly oath.
If I violated any one of the above, I would die without a burial place.
After I finished swearing the oath, the Ancestral Master handed me a jade pendant and said, “I am a descendant of Mohism, not a disciple of Daoism. Let this jade pendant serve as witness to your Initiation, and as a token of trust.”
“In addition, before long, you will face a calamity. I will gift you another hexagram to help you seek fortune and avoid disaster.”
“If you can survive it, you will achieve something. If you cannot, then I wish you a good family in your next life.”
As he finished speaking, another hexagram appeared on the ground.