A Prophet - Chapter 20 (Part 3)

Chapter 3 - The Dead End of the Dragon Vein: Kunlun Pass

In the dead of night, Ancestor brewed a pot of tea and sat in quiet contemplation.

Every coming has its going, and every going has its coming. If the characters for "Kunlun" appeared repeatedly yet the target was not the occupation of Kunlun Mountain itself, then it must surely... it must surely refer to another Kunlun. But the vast land of China only possessed a single Mount Kunlun; what other Kunluns could possibly exist besides this one? Hm, let me look at this from a different angle... Ever since the Japanese invasion of China began... their battle lines had been stretched far too thin, and while the Nationalist army had retreated to Chongqing, the territories that still remained uncaptured besides Chongqing were located in Guangxi... To the east of Mount Kunlun, could it be referring to the "Kunlun Pass" in Guangxi? The ancients had a saying: Exiting through Kunlun Pass, the forest hides the sky; nests hang low guarded by hidden birds, and ancient trees are strangled by monstrous vines. A single pass blocks the path of birds—the most perilous terrain under heaven! Feng Shui texts also recorded: Kunlun Pass strangles the dragon's belly, a place of scorching wind and parched earth with no turning back, akin to a demon waylaying a dragon. Since ancient times, it has been known as the dead end of the Dragon Vein. Could the Japanese be planning to march on the Kunlun Pass in Guangxi?

Upon reaching this realization, Ancestor immediately summoned the Fifth Leader, Zhang Qiling.

Zhang Qiling was half-asleep when Ancestor suddenly summoned him, so he hurriedly draped a coat over his shoulders and rushed over.

"What are Ancestor's instructions?"

"Lao Wu, how much do you know about the Dragon Vein Map of China passed down from ancient times until today?" Ancestor asked.

"There are two prevailing theories," Zhang Qiling replied. "One theory states that China possesses a total of twelve Dragon Veins, anchored by three primary veins that branch out into four minor dragon veins each, making twelve in all! The other theory holds that China has only a single Great Dragon Vein, and every single mountain, hill, and river—large or small—forms an integral component of this grand vein."

"Mm!" Ancestor nodded. "If we follow the second theory, what position does Guangxi occupy within the Dragon Vein?"

Zhang Qiling fell into deep thought for a moment before answering, "I once heard my grandfather say that for the China Dragon Vein, the dragon's head lies in the Beijing-Tianjin region, its two dragon eyes are located in Beiping and Baoding, its dragon claws are in Fujian, its dragon whiskers are in the Northeast, its dragon tail is in Xinjiang, and Guangxi happens to lie right at the abdomen of the coiling dragon!"

"That settles it!" Ancestor said loudly. "That is why there has been a saying since ancient times that 'Kunlun Pass strangles the dragon's belly'!"

With those words, Ancestor abruptly stood up and strode directly toward Dai Li's residence.

"Kunlun Pass?" Dai Li asked in profound shock after hearing the explanation.

"It should be." Ancestor nodded.

"The Battle of Changsha is deadlocked in a fierce struggle; would they really dare to push so deep into Guangxi?" Dai Li wondered aloud.

"We cannot afford not to guard against it," Ancestor said.

Dai Li hesitated for a moment, his heart drumming against his ribs: Should I report this matter to the Generalissimo? There are no trivial matters in military affairs; intelligence must be entirely accurate before it can be submitted upward. Is a conclusion derived by this fortune-teller based on Feng Shui truly reliable? If the Generalissimo actually believes it and consequently pulls away superior forces to garrison Guangxi, wouldn't the Battle of Changsha be compromised? I must not become a sinner against the nation! I originally wanted to claim credit for a meritorious service, but if it backfires, I'll be in serious trouble!

Sensing Dai Li's inner turmoil, Ancestor slowly offered, "The General could present this suggestion to the Generalissimo by framing it as a conclusion reached by domestic Feng Shui masters. You yourself find it difficult to judge its absolute truth, yet you feel it is imperative to guard against it. You can simply ask the Generalissimo to make the final determination."

Dai Li nodded. "Mm, I will go report to the Generalissimo."

"Principal! According to intercepted Japanese telegrams, the devils' next move may be an advance into Guangxi..." Dai Li reported with his head bowed.

Chiang Kai-shek did not speak immediately. He took a sip of coffee, slowly stood up, and picked up a telegram from his desk: "Yurong [Dai Li's courtesy name], take a look at this."

Dai Li took it and read it; it was intelligence obtained by American and British intelligence agencies forwarded by Franklin Roosevelt: the Japanese fleet had assembled in Tokyo Bay and possessed the potential to make a detour by sea to attack Guangxi.

Dai Li was shaken to his core: This is entirely too much of a coincidence!

"However... they haven't completely taken Hunan yet. Venturing far off to the Southwest doesn't conform to conventional military tactics..." Dai Li remarked.

"Yurong, in war, all deception is fair. If I were the Japanese, I would also fight to the death to take Nanning!" Chiang Kai-shek declared.

"Please enlighten me, Principal!"

"After the Battle of Wuhan, the Japanese invaders were severely sapped of their vitality. Now that the war in Hunan is deadlocked, the Japanese plan for a swift subjugation of China has already been shattered. They have already occupied the southeastern coastal cities and cut off all our ports and docks. Guangxi is our sole remaining route to receive outside material aid! In the month of September alone, over ten thousand tons of supplies provided by the US, Britain, and patriotic overseas Chinese were shipped into the country along this very line. This is our 'Anti-Japanese Lifeline'; if we lose Guangxi, we truly become turtles trapped in a jar," Chiang Kai-shek said.

Listening to this, Dai Li felt a chill run down his spine. The theory of the Dragon Vein and actual strategic necessity coincided seamlessly. Was this mere coincidence, or was it predestined by some unseen force?

"Principal, recently the Military Statistics Bureau decoded Japanese telegrams that repeatedly featured the characters for 'Kunlun.' Domestic Feng Shui masters have reached the conclusion that Guangxi's Kunlun Pass is the dead end of the Dragon Vein, and that Kunlun Pass absolutely cannot be lost. If it is lost..." Dai Li finally blurted out the truth.

"Heh," Chiang Kai-shek chuckled. "Kunlun Pass is the southern frontier's barrier and has been a fiercely contested strategic point for military strategists since ancient times. Huang Shaoqing rebelled against the Tang dynasty using it as a stronghold, Nong Zhigao rebelled against the Song dynasty by firmly holding this pass, and the 'Eight Stockade' rebels against the Ming dynasty also fortified themselves here. The terrain of this place is perilous, and it has long borne the reputation of 'a single man guarding the pass, ten thousand men unable to breach it.' Yurong, even without looking at Feng Shui, one should have maintained vigilance over this place!"

"Yes! The Principal's instruction is entirely correct!"

Upon returning to his quarters, Dai Li was deeply struck by the formidable insight of Ancestor and his associates, and consequently hosted a banquet to treat Ancestor. He also invited Ancestor's "wife," Zhu Jin, whose belly was already slightly rounded at this point.

Upon seeing her, Dai Li assumed the child was of Ancestor's seed, thinking to himself: This fortune-teller is truly something else; he had already sown the fields long ago. Heroes have always struggled to pass the trial of a beauty's embrace—it's been the same universal truth from ancient times to the present.

"Sir, there are so many 'secret sects and societies' across the vast land of China, yet your 'Tibuzi Daoist Sect' stands proudly on its own, walking the underworld with the methods of Yin and Yang to resolve troubles and ease suffering. It is truly a great blessing for the common folk."

"The General flatters me. Now that the enemy's secret codes have been cracked, I wish to take my leave..."

"Where does the sir plan to go? With the realm in such turmoil amidst the flames of war, you're much safer right here," Dai Li asked anxiously.

"As fortune-tellers, our home is everywhere under the heavens. Our group has grown accustomed to traveling far and wide across the land. If we stay in one place for too long, we feel restless. Moreover, I have dozens of disciples under my command eating and drinking away every day, and my conscience simply cannot bear it. I am preparing to head ahead to Guangxi first; the Guangxi Campaign is about to begin, and I shall wait for the General there." Ancestor feared Dai Li might suspect him of defecting to the Communists, and had therefore prepared this contingency plan in advance.

Hearing this, Dai Li's eyes darted around slyly. He had long harbored the intention of co-opting Ancestor, but he also knew Ancestor was not a man content to live beneath others. At the same time, he worried that pressing too hard would instead alienate Ancestor and drive him away.

With that thought, Dai Li smiled. "Ah, sir! You and I think alike! I was just about to trouble the sir to take a trip to Guangxi, personally inspect the surrounding terrain of Kunlun Pass, and offer your insights from a Feng Shui perspective to assist the National Revolutionary Army in troop deployment and strategic formations. Kunlun Pass absolutely cannot be lost!"

"I will contact General Bai Chongxi right away. Once you arrive in Guangxi, someone will naturally receive you." As he spoke, Dai Li raised his wine glass. "Sir, see you in Guangxi!"

Ancestor raised his cup and drained it in a single gulp.

Under Dai Li's meticulous arrangements, three heavy-duty trucks carrying Ancestor and dozens of his brothers set off toward Guangxi.

Ancestor knew his true purpose for coming to Guangxi: Jiang Feiyan. The war was about to erupt, and the "Crossing Begonia" lineage could not be allowed to go extinct. Never in his wildest dreams did Ancestor expect that this trip to Guangxi to find Jiang Feiyan would lead to a colossal, unimaginable surprise.

Along the way, Zhu Jin said to Ancestor, "Sir, now that we have escaped the jaws of danger, it is time for me to take my leave..."

Ancestor glanced at her condition and replied, "Madam, your current situation is no longer what it once was. You are no longer the 'Double-Blade Heroine' who ruled the mountains as a bandit chieftain, but rather a mother on the verge of childbirth. In these impoverished backwaters and desolate mountain wilds, Madam would do best to rest easy, bring the child into the world, and only then make long-term plans."

Zhu Jin lowered her head. Thinking of Hong Laohu, her tears began to flow once more.

In the truck trailing behind, the Third Leader chuckled gleefully the entire way. At times he tried to hold it in, only to suddenly burst out with a snort of laughter anyway.

"Are you sick?" the Second Leader asked with a puzzled look.

"We're about to see a good show..." the Third Leader said.

"A good show? The devils are attacking Guangxi, people are going to die, and you call that a good show?" the Second Leader retorted.

"I'm not talking about the war; I'm talking about Ancestor."

"What about Ancestor?" All the section leaders crowded closer.

"Yan Niang has held a secret torch for Ancestor all these years, yet Ancestor went and took a wife—and a bandit's widow at that! Tell me, this... things have gotten huge, there's no living this down, heh..."

Upon hearing this, the others chimed in: "True, Ancestor is really in for it this time."

"Who do you guys think is better looking, Yan Niang or Zhu Jin?" the Third Leader asked, blinking his eyes.

The Second Leader blurted out, "Does even need to be asked? Yan Niang, of course! Back in 1932 when I accompanied Ancestor to Southern Guangdong and laid eyes on Yan Niang for the very first time, my head went buzz, my heart gave a leap, and my insides did a flip. She's too breathtaking! Plus, Yan Niang has a natural fragrance about her that, when she walks past, makes a person... makes a person..."

"Intoxicated!" the Third Leader supplied the word for him.

"Right, right, intoxicated." The Second Leader wasn't a learned man, and always struggled to find the right words.

"I beg to differ!" The Fifth Leader squeezed his way over. "In my view, each has her own unique merits. Yan Niang is a southerner, so her stature isn't quite as tall as Zhu Jin's. Besides, Zhu Jin has lived deep in the mountains for too long, so her skin care hasn't been ideal. If you let Zhu Jin stay in the city for a spell and give her all those face powders and body lotions that Yan Niang uses, within a month, I guarantee Zhu Jin would blossom into an absolute beauty. Look at that figure—curvaceous and well-proportioned, with distinct facial contours and two dimples whenever she smiles..."

Hearing this, the Third Leader seemed to suddenly recall something. He tilted his head and said, "Dimples! Right! She does have two dimples! In her next life, she's definitely going to track down Hong Laohu again!"

"Why?" The others were baffled.

The Third Leader shook his head with an air of profound, unfathomable swagger.

The Second Leader couldn't wait any longer: "Spit it out already!"

The Third Leader hurried to explain: "After a person dies, they have to cross the Bridge of Helplessness and drink Meng Po's soup. Once you drink Meng Po's soup, you forget everything from your entire life, so when you are reincarnated as a human being in the next life, you retain no memories of your past existence. But there are certain hopeless romantics who, upon dying, refuse to stop yearning for their lovers and stubbornly refuse to drink Meng Po's soup. For this type of person, Lady Meng carves a mark upon their faces, and they must endure thousands of hardships and every imaginable torment before they are finally permitted to reincarnate. The moment these people are born, they bear dimples on their faces, and they retain varying degrees of memory regarding their past lives, refusing to stop until they find the very person they were waiting for."

"Hahahahaha!" The Second Leader roared with laughter. "Third boy, you haven't grown any other skills, but your talent for spouting absolute nonsense just keeps getting stronger! According to your logic, Zhu Jin must have had two lovers in her past life—one was Hong Laohu, and the other was Ancestor..."

"Do you guys find this amusing? Gossiping behind Great Master Dad's back!" the Fourth Leader coldly interjected.

The Second Leader glanced at the Fourth Leader: "Fourth Brother, stop dwelling on the younger sister-in-law. Once we reach Guangxi, Second Brother will help you find another one!"

The Fourth Leader shot him a sideways glance, turned his head away, and offered no response.

The Second Leader felt awkward on the spot. To find a way out of his predicament, he patted the First Leader, who had been sitting quietly and staring at the billowing dust kicked up behind the truck: "Big Brother, what are you looking at?"

"Looking at dirt."

"What's so interesting about dirt?"

"It's still better than listening to you guys yapping nonsense!"

The group paused for a moment before bursting into roaring laughter.

"Ah... It's been way too long since I visited a brothel," the Second Leader sighed heavily. "Ancestor is married now too, I can't take this anymore."

"Are there brothels in Guangxi?" the Third Leader asked with wide eyes.

"Of course there are! They're everywhere—wherever you stack up bricks for an outhouse, you'll find a place to do your business. Believe it or not?" the Second Leader said with conviction.

"Brothels! Brothels! All you fucking know is brothels! Watch out, if a Japanese bomb drops right on your head, it'll send you flying up into the heavens with your bare ass exposed! Once I get to Guangxi, my first order of business is to buy ten pounds of cured meat and a huge jug of wine. Eat! Drink!" the First Leader declared.

"And then?" the Second Leader asked.

"And then go to the brothel!"

"Hahahahaha." The section leaders laughed out loud once more.

After several days of bumpy travel, Ancestor and his entourage finally arrived in Guangxi.

Once they settled in, Ancestor set out to find the "Crossing Begonia" stronghold based on the address provided in Jiang Feiyan's previous letters. Having gone so long without contact, Ancestor worried they might have relocated.

Dwellings in Guangxi were primarily fortress-like stockades, with commoners' residences divided into two levels—commonly referred to as "stilts," where people lived on the upper floor while livestock were kept or sundries were piled on the lower level.

Accompanied by Little Liu, Ancestor arrived in front of a residential compound and gently knocked on the stockade gate.

A maidservant stepped out and stopped in utter astonishment: "Ancestor?"

With that, she slammed the gate shut with a loud bang and bolted back inside like a gust of wind.

This left Ancestor completely bewildered, and the Sixth Leader was equally baffled: "What's the situation here?"

After a short while, the maidservant came back out, looked at Ancestor and the Sixth Leader, and announced, "Yan Niang has given orders: no guests are received today!"

"Hey?" The Sixth Leader's temper flared up. "Little sister, take a good look—who's a guest here? This is Great Master Dad!"

"Yan Niang said she is seeing no one today," the young girl replied, completely ignoring the Sixth Leader.

"You..." The Sixth Leader was so angry his nose was crooked.

Ancestor was also turning the matter over in his mind: What on earth is going on? This doesn't suit Jiang Feiyan's usual style at all. Could it be that she already caught wind of my "marriage"? Surely word couldn't have spread that fast? If that really is the case, it gives me all the more reason to go in and explain myself.

"You young lady are remarkably impolite. I have urgent matters to report to Sister Yan, so go announce me at once!" Ancestor feigned displeasure.

"Not seeing anyone!" With another loud bang, the gate slammed shut in his face.

Having been turned away at the door twice in a row, Ancestor felt a spark of anger ignite within his chest. As a dignified Great Master Dad, being kept out by bound feet—especially with Little Liu standing right there—was a severe blow to his grand prestige as Master Dad.

The Sixth Leader looked up at the courtyard wall and prepared to leap right over it, but Ancestor grabbed him by the arm: "What are you doing?"

"What else can we do?" the Sixth Leader said.

"Let's head back!" Ancestor turned on his heel and walked away without looking back.

The Sixth Leader glanced at the wall, and with a resigned sigh, hurried off to follow him.

That evening, Ancestor drank alone beneath the moonlight, wondering what on earth Jiang Feiyan was playing at. No matter how furious she might be, the least she could do was let him inside to give a proper explanation.

Just as he was pondering the matter, a knock sounded at the door, and a moment later Little Liu escorted a young female attendant into the courtyard.

"Ancestor, Yan Niang requests your presence."

"How did you find this place?" Ancestor asked.

"I followed you here. Yan Niang requests your presence."

"Mm." Ancestor draped an outer robe over his shoulders and said to Little Liu, "Let's go. This time I won't be shut out at the door."

"Yan Niang specified that only Ancestor is allowed to come," the female attendant said.

"This..." Ancestor was completely baffled. He glanced at Little Liu, then looked back at the attendant. "Very well."

Making a series of turns through winding paths, Ancestor arrived at Jiang Feiyan's quarters.

Jiang Feiyan came out to greet him personally: "Ancestor, please come in—"

"Ah, right." Ancestor had no idea what kind of medicine Jiang Feiyan was keeping in her gourd.

After the two of them sat down, neither spoke for a moment, both seemingly weighed down by their own thoughts. Ancestor thought to himself: Sigh, I suppose I'd better start.

"Sister Yan, regarding the matter of my marriage..."

"What?" Before Ancestor could even finish, Jiang Feiyan gasped in shock, "Ancestor got married?!"

"What, Sister Yan didn't know about this?" Ancestor was equally startled.

"I know about it now," Jiang Feiyan said with a look of utter dejection. "Didn't Ancestor say our identities made us unsuited for marriage?"

"Sister Yan, it happened like this..." Ancestor recounted the whole truth from beginning to end.

Upon hearing the explanation, Jiang Feiyan's face blossomed into a smile, which vanished just as quickly. It left Ancestor feeling completely clueless—what on earth was wrong with everyone today, acting so utterly abnormal!

"Since Sister Yan didn't know about this affair, why didn't you let me in earlier today?" Ancestor felt the whole thing was deeply suspicious.

Jiang Feiyan glanced at Ancestor, quickly looked away, raised her eyes to scan the ceiling, shifted her gaze back to Ancestor, curled her lip, and made a face as if she had a terrible toothache.

"Sister Yan?" Ancestor waited anxiously.

Jiang Feiyan drew a deep breath. "Ancestor, no matter what happens next, you must stay calm—calm! Alright?"