A Prophet - Chapter 14 (Part 4)
Chapter 4 - Four-Pillars Calculation
The second to take the stage was Half-Immortal Zheng from Jiaodong. Having entrenched himself in Jiaodong for many years, he was reputed to have a profound mastery of the Eight Characters and was hailed as a "living immortal." Give him your birth date and time, and he could immediately rattle off your health, financial fortune, official career, and the status of your six relations!
The "six relations" is an Eight Characters terminology, referring to the social network derived from a person's birth day stem.
Anyone who frequently visits fortune-tellers knows that fortune-tellers claim they can discern your parents, siblings, spouse, and even grandparents straight from your Eight Characters, all of which are deduced through the six relations.
The six relations respectively refer to: parents, brothers, sisters, wife, officials/killers, and children (different versions have varying definitions). One can derive the six relations from the Eight Characters based on the generating and restricting relationships of the Five Elements.
The Eight Characters are divided into four pillars: the birth year pillar, the birth month pillar, the birth day pillar, and the birth hour pillar. Each pillar consists of one Heavenly Stem and one Earthly Branch, making a total of eight characters, hence the name Eight Characters.
When calculating, the day pillar represents the self, and one must especially use the Five Element attribute of the day pillar's Heavenly Stem to deduce the six relations. This is the first step in destiny calculation.
For instance, if a person is born on a Geng Chen day, then the character "Geng" represents the self. At the same time, using "Geng" as the center, their six relations are deduced.
Geng is one of the ten Heavenly Stems, and its Five Element attribute is metal. The rules for deducing the six relations are as follows:
That which generates me is parents. Geng is metal, and earth generates metal, so earth is the mother of metal. If characters whose Five Element attribute is earth appear in the other three pillars—such as Wu earth or Ji earth—that character represents the mother.
That which I generate is children. Geng is metal, and metal generates water, so water is the offspring of metal. If characters whose Five Element attribute is water appear in the other three pillars—such as Ren water or Gui water—that character represents the children.
That which I restrict is wife and wealth. In ancient times, women held a low social status, and men viewed women as their property—something that could be controlled and restrained by them. Therefore, that which I restrict represents wife and wealth. Geng is metal, and metal restricts wood, so wood is the wife and wealth of metal. If characters whose Five Element attribute is wood appear in the other three pillars—such as Jia wood or Yi wood—that character represents the wife. Of course, ancients had three wives and four concubines, divided into direct wealth and indirect wealth. Although modern social structures have changed, the essence remains the same: if a man's Eight Characters show an excess of wealth stars, it indicates a tendency for affairs.
That which restricts me is officials and killers. Aside from family relationships, a person also possesses broader societal relationships. Officials and killers represent one's work, superiors, and leaders. These individuals are all capable of restraining me, and I must obey their commands; therefore, that which restricts me represents officials and killers. Geng is metal, and fire restricts metal, so fire is the official and killer of Geng metal. If characters whose Five Element attribute is fire appear in the other three pillars—such as Bing fire or Ding fire—that character represents one's superior. For women, due to their low social status and being restricted by men, the official and killer in a woman's Eight Characters represented her husband, which is why ancient women referred to their husbands as "officials."
Aside from generating me, me generating, me restricting, and restricting me—these four interactive relationships—there is also a scenario of neither generating nor restricting, which is known as peers. Geng is metal, and if characters whose Five Element attribute is also metal appear in the other three pillars, such as Geng metal or Xin metal, those characters are called peers, representing brothers and sisters.
Dutifully analyzing the Eight Characters begins by evaluating the strength or weakness of the day stem, observing the generating and restricting relations between the day stem and the other stems and branches, and then combining this with the major luck cycles and annual luck cycles to forecast fortune and misfortune.
Grandpa Zu had previously investigated Half-Immortal Zheng's background through Huang Farong. This fellow was past fifty, short in stature, thin, possessed a very long beard, and looked robust and spirited—genuinely giving off the aura of an immortal. Having entrenched himself in Jiaodong for many years, he possessed a solid foundation in Eight Characters. Grandpa Zu feared this type of person the most; once someone possesses genuine skill and then turns to swindling, it becomes like adding wings to a tiger. A clumsy thief is not terrifying, but a thief who can vault over walls is. Grandpa Zu swore to strip Half-Immortal Zheng of his mystique and reveal his true colors.
Once Half-Immortal Zheng sat down, someone in the audience leaped up and fired the first question: "Master Zheng has studied the Eight Characters for many years; could you tell this humble person whether destiny is more important, or luck? What is the underlying principle?"
The crowd looked in the direction of the voice and saw an extraordinary and refined woman with large, bright eyes—none other than the "Ghost Sister" Huang Farong. This had all been arranged by Grandpa Zu.
Half-Immortal Zheng nodded and said unhurriedly, "Destiny and luck—these are actually two distinct concepts. Destiny is the Eight Characters; it is born with you and never changes until death. Luck, on the other hand, changes every decade. The so-called ten-year major luck cycle means a human life experiences eight major luck cycles in total. Delving into the two characters of destiny and luck, this old man believes that destiny is the root and the foundation, while luck is auxiliary and the branches. This is because destiny is the endowment of the primordial constitution, the destination decreed by Heaven, which possesses an unstoppable momentum. Luck, however, is acquired energy that can be adjusted through methods such as feng shui and talismans. The reason my 'Xianyin Sect' has stood tall in Jiaodong for fifty years without falling relies entirely on the fact that my disaster-relief methods for the common people always prove efficacious..." Half-Immortal Zheng did not forget to advertise himself even at this moment.
"Master Zheng's words are entirely mistaken!" Grandpa Zu let out a sharp shout and stood up. "As the books of destiny state: 'Only when there is a defect can there be nobility; without a flaw, there is nothing wondrous.' As a rule, legendary figures all carry 'defects' in their destiny. In their Eight Characters, either the harming official star is overly vigorous, the seal star is insufficient, or the official and killer stars harmonize with the self. Their early years are fraught with disasters and hardships, a narrow escape from death through nine lifetimes. Yet once the major luck cycle arrives and luck aligns to assist them, they soar straight up into the skies, and their entire destiny undergoes a heaven-shaking, earth-fever transformation! In the past, there was Zhu Yuanzhang; in recent times, there was Hu Xueyan. Both are living, breathing examples!"
Half-Immortal Zheng was taken aback. "Haha, so it is Grandpa Zu of the 'River and Image Faction'! Forgive my lack of respect, forgive my lack of respect! Does Grandpa Zu mean that the major luck cycle is more important than the Eight Characters themselves? A person's destiny is akin to a tree: if the roots are deep, the trunk is straight and the leaves flourish. The Eight Characters are the root and the foundation; those people who start poor and later become rich do so because their destiny carried the signals of wealth and nobility, which were merely triggered by the major luck cycle!"
Grandpa Zu chuckled softly and said, "Since that is the case, and all poverty and wealth are already written into the Eight Characters, then from where does Master Zheng's acquired method of altering destiny even arise?"
Upon hearing this, Half-Immortal Zheng felt as though he had trapped himself in his own web and hurriedly retorted, "The method of acquired disaster relief has existed since ancient times. Could it be that Grandpa Zu is also mocking the ancient sages and worthies?"
Grandpa Zu said steadily, "The I Ching was born for diviners. Whether it is the Eight Characters, the Six Yao, or any other divinatory arts, all ten thousand methods never depart from yin-yang dialectics. The relationship between destiny and luck is precisely the relationship between an egg and a chick. Without an egg, one can never hatch a chick, but without the proper temperature, an egg remains a dead egg and can never become a chick. Destiny and luck: within yin there is yang, within yang there is yin, yin and yang transform into each other, and creation naturally comes to be! It is not that the ancient sages and worthies were wrong; it is simply that Master Zheng's understanding possesses a slight deviation!"
"You..." Half-Immortal Zheng's face flushed a deep crimson.
Pressing his advantage with a single breath, Grandpa Zu continued, "Master Zheng has studied the Eight Characters for many years; has he ever calculated his own? Could Master Zheng be like Master Liu, who only had his destiny read by his master in his youth? The Eight Characters differ from bone structure; they are well-suited for constant contemplation."
"If you have calculated it, I have heard that the supreme realm of Eight Characters prediction is pinpointing fortune and misfortune down to a specific day. Does Master Zheng feel he can capture the championship today, or will his campaign suffer a premature collapse?" Grandpa Zu pressed on relentlessly.
Half-Immortal Zheng truly was an old fox. Recovering his composure slightly, he let out a dry laugh. "Grandpa Zu is mistaken! The highest realm of Eight Characters prediction is not pinpointing one's own fortune and misfortune down to a specific day, but rather being able to perceive the success or failure of one's opponents within one's own Eight Characters. Last night, I observed my own Eight Characters and deduced that anyone who comes into conflict with me today will undoubtedly fail without a doubt! But I would rather that person were not Grandpa Zu! Haha!"
Half-Immortal Zheng's counter-borrowing maneuver was executed quite well, thrusting Grandpa Zu right onto the blade.
Yoshiko Nishida also glanced at Grandpa Zu, thinking to herself that Grandpa Zu had surely played a misstep here. Grandpa Zu smiled faintly, and then unleashed his trump card!
"How about this: Master Zheng, you use your Eight Characters predictive art, and I will use my Tieman Divine Calculation, and we shall have a head-to-head contest right here on the spot. How does that sound?"
A collective hiss rose from the audience below. For a master to openly challenge another master on the spot is a major taboo in the martial world. When two titans clash, one is bound to get hurt. Few in the underworld play their cards this way unless they are mortal enemies, because neither side can afford to lose!
Half-Immortal Zheng had already been forced to the edge of a cliff, and he nodded with a vicious expression.
"How shall we compete?"
"We shall both declare our birth dates and times, and then mutually point out each other's private matters!"
Another wave of gasps erupted from the crowd!
"How do I know whether the birth date Grandpa Zu provides is fake?" Half-Immortal Zheng smiled coldly.
"Haha, a gentleman is open and poised, while a petty person is constantly anxious. I am not afraid of Master Zheng giving me a fake date, so what are you afraid of?"
The atmosphere instantly grew tense.
"Fine!" Half-Immortal Zheng had no retreat left.
Shortly thereafter, the two men exchanged each other's Eight Characters, though whether they were genuine or false remained unknown to everyone. In truth, truth or falsehood no longer mattered at this point; what the two masters were pitting against each other was sheer intellect.
Immediately afterward, Grandpa Zu made a polite, deferential gesture: "Will Master Zheng go first?"
"Grandpa Zu, please go first!" Half-Immortal Zheng was acutely aware of the trickery involved. When engaging in a battle of words and wits, the one who strikes first often exposes flaws.
Grandpa Zu smiled faintly. "Very well. But... but I am afraid that once I finish speaking, Master Zheng will no longer have the chance to speak."
"Hahahahaha! I have long heard that the 'River and Image Faction's' Yingyao technique is extraordinarily superb. Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation! But what we are comparing today is genuine skill; relying on Yingyao probably won't cut it!"
"Haha! Master Zheng's words are extremely correct! Listen closely: if Master Zheng's birth date is accurate, then when you were five years old, you harmed your mother, and she passed away that very year!"
"Heh, what you say is completely correct!" Half-Immortal Zheng smiled. "If Grandpa Zu's birth date is accurate, at age fifteen you harmed your six relations—your parents, grandparents, and siblings all passed away in that single year!"
Half-Immortal Zheng's words were venomous indeed. He wanted to stir up Grandpa Zu's painful memories and throw him completely off balance!
Grandpa Zu nodded. "These matters concerning you and me are known to every brother in the underworld. How about I tell you something that nobody else knows?"
Half-Immortal Zheng was slightly startled. "Please speak!" He knew in his heart that since nobody else knew, regardless of whether Grandpa Zu spoke truly or falsely, he could simply claim "incorrect!"
He had not anticipated that Grandpa Zu would utter the following words:
"A person's Eight Characters and their facial physiognomy are interconnected. An Eight Characters chart of immense wealth and nobility will naturally manifest a wealthy and noble facial and bodily structure. By the same token, someone whose bodily structure is impoverished, base, or incomplete will display corresponding manifestations in their Eight Characters. In Master Zheng's Eight Characters, the two Yin branches restrain the Zi water and Hai water, which manifests on the physical body as..."
"As what?" Half-Immortal Zheng pressed urgently.
"As Master Zheng being born with cryptorchidism!"
"Oh!" A gasp swept through the audience!
Cryptorchidism, a medical term, means a male is naturally born without testicles inside the scrotum. To any man, this is a devastating blow!
"You?!" Half-Immortal Zheng's face turned as purple as an eggplant.
"Would you like to verify it on the spot?" Grandpa Zu pursued relentlessly.
Half-Immortal Zheng would never have dreamed in his wildest dreams that Grandpa Zu would combine the Eight Characters with physiognomy to operate on his physiological condition. The matter of cryptorchidism was his absolute privacy; no one else knew about it. He had no way of knowing whether Grandpa Zu had truly calculated it or learned of it through some secret art.
The atmosphere at the scene reached the absolute peak of awkwardness. What should happen next? Was Half-Immortal Zheng actually going to take off his pants?
At that moment, Grandpa Zu shifted the tone of his conversation: "Haha, I was merely joking with Master Zheng just now. Please do not take offense, Master Zheng, and I ask everyone else not to take offense either." With that, he bowed and apologized to Half-Immortal Zheng.
Half-Immortal Zheng twitched the corner of his mouth, forced a smile, and hastily returned the bow. "Grandpa Zu is full of humor."
"Shall we continue?" Grandpa Zu asked.
"Uh... Grandpa Zu's skills are exquisite, absolutely no lower than this humble person's. I am old, and I am willing to cede this honor to the younger generation!"
Huang Farong leaped up and took the lead in applauding. After a brief moment of stunned silence, the crowd followed suit and applauded along.
Half-Immortal Zheng finally managed to step down with a modicum of dignity.
Yoshiko Nishida and the several Japanese masters in the audience watched in utter astonishment, sighing inwardly: this Grandpa Zu is truly no simple character!
The remaining seven candidates in the audience also watched with trembling hearts. What kind of witchcraft was this Grandpa Zu playing with, to be so terrifyingly powerful?