Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My friend Jiang Haoyan is in love. He and his girlfriend, Fang Lu, planned a trip to Tibet and invited me to join them.

I didn’t want to be a third wheel, but Jiang Haoyan’s mother offered me a salary.

“Master Qiao, I know my son. That Fang Lu girl is definitely not his type.”

“He couldn’t have been possessed, could he? Can you go with him to protect him? I’ll cover all expenses-food, lodging, and entertainment-and I’ll give you another million yuan.”

I looked at Jiang Haoyan, who was on the phone nearby, laughing and twisting his body like a pretzel.

His features were upright, and his aura was clear; there wasn’t the slightest trace of possession.

This was just the foolish, clumsy love of a young man. Unfortunately, with Fang Lu facing such a wealthy mother-in-law, she was destined for a difficult road ahead.

I sighed and reached out to take the bank card.

“Hey, it’s not about the money. We’re classmates; protecting Jiang Haoyan is my duty.”

My name is Qiao Moyu. I’m a freshman at Nanjiang University and the only contemporary Earth Master successor.

In ancient times, an Earth Master was another term for a Feng Shui master.

As the saying goes: “First-class Earth Masters observe the stars; second-class Feng Shui masters seek the water’s source; third-class masters wander the earth.” Most of those walking the world today are just ordinary Feng Shui masters. Those capable of mastering the art of observing stars and reading Qi used to serve in the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, working for the imperial family.

The Qiao family ancestors were Directors of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and the hereditary leaders of the Feng Sect.

I followed Jiang Haoyan on a flight to Tibet, where Fang Lu was already waiting for us at the airport.

She was wearing a red dress with a silk scarf draped over her shoulders, looking quite mismatched.

Jiang Haoyan, however, wore a look of pure adoration. He walked toward Fang Lu with open arms.

“Fang Lu, you look so beautiful today.”

Fang Lu smiled and grabbed his arm, but her expression instantly froze when she saw me.

“Qiao Moyu, why are you here?”

She gave Jiang Haoyan’s arm a pinch and pretended to joke, “Don’t you think the sun in Tibet is bright enough? Why did you bring such a big lightbulb with you?”

I pulled a bank card from my pocket and flashed it in front of Fang Lu.

“Seeing this card is like seeing his mother!”

Fang Lu: “…”

Jiang Haoyan gave a bitter smile. “She’s joking. My mom insisted that Qiao Moyu come along. I didn’t have a choice.”

After leaving the airport, Fang Lu took us in a taxi to our accommodation.

Barkhor Street in Linzhi has many old, weathered houses with exceptionally low doorframes. The old house Fang Lu had found was right next to a temple, with colorful prayer flags fluttering in the wind at the entrance.

Fang Lu explained to us that these unique low doors were built to prevent “Rolang.”

In Tibetan, “Rolang” translates to “walking corpse.” Legend has it that in Tibet, when evil people or those who die of hunger and cold pass away with lingering regrets, they rise as corpses to complete the evil deeds of their past lives or to seek the food they lacked.

“Actually, our mainland legends of Jiangshi originated in Tibet,” Fang Lu explained as she bent down to step through the low door.

Jiang Haoyan followed behind her with a look of admiration. “Fang Lu, you know so much.”

Inside the low door, however, was a completely different world.

The living room featured an antique wooden structure, the walls were covered in vibrantly colored murals, and a drum sat in the corner.

To my surprise, a lama was sitting cross-legged on a low sofa nearby. He had a round head and large ears, wore red lama robes, and was meditating with his eyes closed.

“Guru Danjia, my friends have arrived.”

Fang Lu bowed respectfully. Lama Danjia slowly opened his eyes, his gaze fixed motionlessly on Jiang Haoyan.

After a long silence, he gave a faint “mm” and beckoned Jiang Haoyan over.

Fang Lu led Jiang Haoyan to sit beside Lama Danjia. The lama reached out to feel Jiang Haoyan’s skull, then squeezed his arm, a look of satisfaction appearing in his eyes.

“Good.”

After finishing his examination, Danjia closed his eyes again.

I looked at them in surprise, and Fang Lu explained that this was Danjia’s way of welcoming Jiang Haoyan.

Throughout the rest of the process, Danjia didn’t speak another word, sitting on the sofa as if in a state of deep meditative trance.