Chapter 47
Chapter 47
“Exactly–Black Tortoise Basking Its Back, a spirit snake coiled around gathered fortune!”
Under everyone’s doubtful gaze, I explained.
The Black Tortoise was one of the Four Symbols governing east, south, west, and north.
In its chapter correlating constellations with earthly feng shui, The Classic of Dwellings said: Ren and Gui water rule the north; their trigram is Kan, their symbol the Black Tortoise, god of water.
This plot therefore gathered the finest feng shui energy in all Xiao Family Bend.
Residents of a house built here would enjoy health, longevity, fewer illnesses, and future wealth. The family fortune would not explode upward but advance steadily.
Wang Beimu said coldly, “You call it Black Tortoise Basking Its Back, so it is? Where’s your proof?”
I pointed at the central pit.
“There!”
Though a water god, the Black Tortoise could hide underground!
The essence of earth became stone; stone shaped like a turtle and buried below formed its image.
The center of this plot rose while the surroundings dipped, resembling an enormous shell. Bloody water appeared because the workers struck the tortoise’s tail.
The eastern and western pits touched its hind claws!
Naturally, no living giant turtle actually lay below. Black Tortoise Basking Its Back described terrain and mineral strata.
The Xiao father and son’s eyes brightened as Wang Beimu paled.
I pointed at the snake nest. “Normally, snakes beneath a foundation are ominous. Here, they mean the opposite. The Black Tortoise’s image consists of a turtle entwined with a snake. Raised turtle-back terrain needs spirit snakes coiled above it to complete the symbol.”
Xiao Cheng clapped excitedly.
“I understand! Xiao Wu’s skill is divine.”
He was plainly straightforward.
Old Master Xiao looked deeply at masked Master. “If Immortal Lady Qin’s disciple possesses such vision, how remarkable must the Immortal Lady herself be? No wonder Old Wang treats you with utmost respect.”
He bowed to Master, utterly unlike his initial attitude.
Master merely acknowledged him with a quiet hum.
“Even if you’re right, how do we solve the problems? Tell us!” Wang Beimu demanded desperately.
I looked at him like an idiot. “This is already an auspicious residential site. What needs solving? Construction should continue normally.”
I pointed at the red-water pits.
“If the rammer strikes another hard area, don’t force it. You’ve reached the Black Tortoise’s tail or shell. Pour in mist-dew collected at dawn–the purest water. As a water god, the Black Tortoise will descend deeper, allowing the foundation to proceed. Never harm the snakes, or you’ll ruin the feng shui.”
Xiao Cheng nodded vigorously.
“Understood. I’ll warn the workers and leave my second brother, Xiao Zheng, here to supervise all day.”
With matters resolved, Master and I prepared to leave.
At Old Master Xiao’s signal, Xiao Cheng offered the Immortal Lady a thick red envelope.
“A small token of gratitude. Please accept it, Immortal Lady.”
“Ah-Zhong, take it.”
“Yes, Master!”
The envelope felt thick–at least two or three thousand yuan!
Money came astonishingly easily.
Compared with dangerous coffin bearing, feng shui seemed the easier way to earn.
…
Master turned away. I saluted the Xiaos and followed.
Not far beyond Xiao Family Bend, an irritating voice called behind us.
“Wait! You’re leaving like that?”
Wang Beimu hurried after us, displeased.
What did he want?
I frowned. “Should we leave some other way? Want to carry me home?”
“What manners! I want your master.” He addressed Master. “You’re a new practitioner from Wujia Village, recently accepting work nearby? By custom, anyone who interferes midway must share half the fee.”
I laughed in anger.
“I’ve seen shameless people, but never one like you. Your feng shui skill is worse than a middle-school child’s. You nearly ruined the Xiao project, yet demand money? There must be a hole in your head.”
“A hole in your head” was a Sichuan-Chongqing insult meaning roughly “idiot.”
Wang Beimu rolled up his sleeves and lunged.
As I prepared to fight, my vision blurred…
Smack!
A crisp slap sounded.
Wang Beimu flew two or three meters and landed clutching his face, squealing like a slaughtered pig.
I sensed Master move beside me but never saw it clearly.
“Master is amazing!”
“Ah-Zhong, this is why you must practice the martial skills of the eclectic arts. Fists solve problems directly.”
Looking at Wang Beimu’s swollen face, she said coolly, “Surprised I struck you? This is minor punishment for disrespect. Fail to learn, and next time won’t be so easy. Get lost!”
Her dominance set my blood racing!
Terrified by her ruthlessness, Wang Beimu fled like a beaten dog.
She had slapped him away without one wasted word.
Truly, the ruthless spoke little!
…
Back in Wujia Village, I offered Master the envelope. She said money was useless to her; she accepted jobs only to give me experience.
I had no choice but to give it to my parents.
The amount startled them!
After hearing the story, they were both amazed and delighted.
Following Master on a feng shui job was much easier than carrying coffins with Old Cao and Big Bull.
But it tested ability just as severely!
Without my strong memory and one rough reading of The Classic of Dwellings and The Book of Burial, I could never have seen the hidden Black Tortoise Basking Its Back beneath the apparent Jade Belt Encircling the Mountain!
I spent the weekend studying methods of the esoteric arts with Master.
On Sunday afternoon, I had to leave home again for Old Cao’s shop in Lianghe Town.
Morning study began at seven Monday, too early to travel from home, so I returned a day ahead.
I hated leaving, but life required it.
Only the person drinking the water knew whether it was warm or cold.
…
For several days, I attended school by day and studied coffin bearing and spirit-paper arts at night. Nothing unusual happened.
Then, on Thursday, something strange occurred!
During Chinese class, Wang Dachun tapped Yao Nan’s shoulder while the teacher looked away.
“Yao Nan, can I drink your water? I’m thirsty and can’t fetch any during class.”
Our classroom had a large urn of warm boiled water at the front. It was less convenient than later dispensers but still good, and everyone carried a cup.
As Yao Nan’s deskmate, I saw everything. I assumed Wang Dachun only wanted an excuse to speak with her.
Could he really be that thirsty? Did neither he nor Zeng Jin have water? Could he not wait until break?
Unwilling to argue, Yao Nan passed him her cup.
Splash…
At least Wang Dachun poured it into his own cup before gulping it down.
“He really was thirsty? Perhaps I’m prejudiced against him.”
I resumed listening. Ranking first was enough pressure to make one’s hair fall out…
Three or five minutes later, a pen poked my back.
“Um… Wu Zhong. Can I borrow your water? I’ll repay it after class.”
What nonsense.
The water was free. Why repay it?
Had he eaten a bag of salt at lunch?
Without turning, I passed my cup backward. We disliked each other, but held no mortal grudge. I had already punished him; denying water seemed unnecessary.
Then Zeng Jin whispered behind me, “Brother Chun, you can’t keep drinking. You’ve had almost twenty jin today and haven’t urinated once. Something’s wrong. You should visit the infirmary again.”
What?!
Wang Dachun had drunk twenty jin of water without using the toilet?
That was absolutely abnormal!