A Prophet - Chapter 1 (Part 1)
Chapter 1 - The Fortune-Telling Mantras That Are Never Divulged
Those who are greedy will inevitably be impoverished; gentlemen take this as a supreme warning, and Buddhism also lists it as the foremost of the five precepts. Therefore, when acting as an "Abao," the blame does not lie with the "physiognomy," but rather with the "target"—
From the Abao Chapter
This passage originates from the Jianghu secret manual Abao Chapter, meaning that human nature is inherently greedy, and greed is the supreme warning. Therefore, greedy people are bound to be impoverished. Thus, acting as an "Abao"—defrauding those who are greedy—is not wrong. In other words, they get what they deserve!
"Abao" is underworld slang, being the collective term for those who make a living through fortune-telling scams. "Physiognomy" refers to the scammer, while "target" refers to the victim being scammed.
In 1948, at the age of twenty, I followed Grandfather for the sake of survival. Grandfather was the head of the local scammer circle; he possessed senior status and ruthless methods. Anyone wishing to carry out shady work locally had to kowtow to him as their master, or else he would find someone to "slice" (eliminate) you.
Upon following Grandfather, the first thing to study was the Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. After spending a month laying down this foundation, I began studying "Yingyao," which is scam psychology. The core mantras of Yingyao remain fresh in my memory to this day:
Upon entering, observe the intent of the arrival; when speaking, do not hesitate.
If Heaven comes asking about Chase, Chase seeks nobility; if Chase comes asking about Heaven, Heaven suffers anxiety.
When Eight asks about Seven, the joyful ones wish to rely on Seven's nobility, while the resentful ones are truly troubled by Seven's seven sorrows.
When Seven asks about Eight, if Eight is not in trouble, it inevitably means difficulty in bearing offspring.
Scholars inquire about their prospects, while merchants having grandsons is akin to ancient times.
Repeatedly inquiring about a matter signifies that the matter is lacking; frequently asking for the reason means there is definitely a reason within.
Monks and Daoists profess high-mindedness, yet never forget profit and desire.
High officials in the imperial court harbor ambitions of mountains and forests.
The first brother requires a ruthless blade, the second brother requires discarding the blade, and the third jujube requires fleeing.
These are all underworld slang terms, which I shall explain step by step.
The first line: Upon entering, observe the intent of the arrival; when speaking, do not hesitate.
This means that when someone comes to have their fortune told, or when you visit their home to tell their fortune, you must not speak first. You must listen to the other party; the more they speak, the more information they reveal. Once you spot the right moment, you drop a remark out of nowhere that hits the core issue. You must never hesitate or be ambiguous, otherwise the other party will think you lack skill! So how do you catch the core issue? Look at the following lines.
The second line: If Heaven comes asking about Chase, Chase seeks nobility; if Chase comes asking about Heaven, Heaven suffers anxiety.
"Heaven" refers to the father, and "Chase" refers to the son. This line means that whenever a father comes to have his son's fortune told, he is basically asking whether the son will amount to anything and whether he will attain wealth and nobility. Parents always hope their sons will become dragons and their daughters phoenixes, even if the child is merely a gecko or a pheasant. Since he asks these things, the subtext is that his son or daughter is currently unmotivated. If you make your judgment along this line, you can never go wrong! The second half of the line means that whenever a son or daughter comes to have their parents' fortune told, it is definitely because the father or mother's health is failing—either they have fallen ill or their time is up. Aside from this, children never think of their parents for any other reason!
The third line: When Eight asks about Seven, the joyful ones wish to rely on Seven's nobility, while the resentful ones are truly troubled by Seven's seven sorrows.
"Eight" refers to the wife, and "Seven" refers to the husband. This means that whenever a wife comes to ask about her husband's prospects and fortune, if she arrives in a joyful mood, it indicates that her husband may recently come into official fortune or wealth—in short, something good is about to happen, though it has not yet arrived or has only just shown its sprouts. When she comes to divine this, you can directly judge that her husband is blessed with fortune and official rank, and she will certainly smile like a silly roe deer, giving a generous tip in return! Conversely, if the woman arrives with a gloomy expression, it is definitely because her husband has recently run into bad luck, is about to lose his official position, suffer financial ruin, or abandon her. If you make your judgment in the direction of misfortune, you will hit the mark eight or nine times out of ten! Then you ruthlessly hammer the point home, telling her that unless she averts this disaster, she will suffer ten years of bad luck. At that moment, she will obediently pull the silver dollars out of her pocket, and even while you defraud her, she will kowtow to you in gratitude!
The fourth line: When Seven asks about Eight, if Eight is not in trouble, it inevitably means difficulty in bearing offspring.
Whenever a husband comes to have his wife's fortune told, there are only two possibilities: either he suspects his wife of infidelity and wearing a green hat, or his wife cannot lay eggs and is unable to bear children! Aside from these, a husband will never have his wife's fortune told!
The fifth line: Scholars inquire about their prospects, while merchants having grandsons is akin to ancient times.
"Having grandsons" refers to merchants and wealthy individuals; "ancient times" uses "near" to mean living and "ancient" to mean dead. Scholars are educated men; when a scholar arrives, he naturally asks about his future prospects—whether he can pass the imperial examinations and become an official. As for a tycoon, he certainly asks how long he will live or whether there are major disasters and hurdles along his life's path, because he has plenty of money and lacks nothing, fearing only that he will not live long. Once this psychology is grasped, everything else is easy to manage!
The sixth line: Repeatedly inquiring about a matter signifies that the matter is lacking; frequently asking for the reason means there is definitely a reason within.
Whenever someone repeatedly asks about a certain matter, that matter is definitely very unfavorable and deeply unsatisfactory. Whenever someone in Jianghu rumors keeps hammering away at a single question endlessly, that very question is the root cause of what they want to inquire about. It is not that your divination is accurate, but that they have revealed too much!
The seventh line: Monks and Daoists profess high-mindedness, yet never forget profit and desire.
True cultivators of the Dao do not go about having their fortunes told. Those sanctimonious monks and Daoists who come inquiring about matters are merely displaying a mortal heart that refuses to die, asking about either profit or desire. If you promise them profit and desire, they will inevitably rejoice greatly!
The eighth line: High officials in the imperial court harbor ambitions of mountains and forests.
"High officials in the imperial court" refers to those holding official posts. Those high-and-mighty officials actually possess even greater ambition and a stronger mindset for profit. If you still promise them profit and desire, they will likewise rejoice greatly!
The ninth line: The first brother requires a ruthless blade, the second brother requires discarding the blade, and the third jujube requires fleeing.
"First brother" refers to the silliest roe deer who is easiest to hook and places absolute trust in you. At this time, the blade must be truly ruthless—ruthless to what extent? Grandfather said: "As long as it doesn't lead to total family ruin!" "Second brother" refers to someone who harbors doubts about you or thinks your divination is inaccurate. At that point, you must never linger in battle or harbor greed; do not collect a single cent! "Third jujube" refers to someone who is deliberately picking a fight. If you see that someone has come specifically to pick a bone, slip away immediately to safety! Grandfather will handle the rest!
Following Grandfather meant entrusting him with one's life and death. Afraid of death? In Grandfather's words: If you're afraid of death, you might as well go home and feed pigs! The Abao trade is one of high risk and high reward. Look at the regional bosses around Grandfather—which one of them had not experienced a hundred battles and escaped from the jaws of death?
Speaking up to this point, you surely think Grandfather was an extraordinary figure. Correct! Grandfather was a highly cultured person with a fine appearance and a very benevolent countenance. If you did not understand him, you could never associate him with swindling, gambling, and murder. Grandfather rarely lost his temper; he only grew angry when the "little feet" stumbled in their tasks. Even then, his anger was not loud—it was not the beating and scolding you might imagine, but the moment he sank his face, it was enough to scare you half to death! The biggest temper I ever saw Grandfather lose was in the second year after I entered the trade, when several regional bosses attempted to rebel and climb the incense. A "regional boss" was a secondary-level manager under Grandfather, and "climbing the incense" meant staging a revolt. Grandfather flew into a towering rage at that time and personally sliced the ringleader.