A Prophet - Chapter 23 (Part 1)

Chapter 1 - Mind-Easy Divination, Character Analysis, Dream Interpretation, and the Art of Walking Horse Yin-Yang Feng Shui

The southern, northern, and western factions received letters from the eastern faction and soon set off for Jianghuai to attend the annual grand assembly.

Before the people from the three major branches arrived, Grandfather instructed Sixth Brother and the others to rush to Yuanyua Road in the suburbs of Shanghai to tidy up that pre-selected dilapidated house, and to stock up on food, fruits, and vegetables to meet the living needs during the meeting.

Grandfather, however, went alone to the "Camo Photography Studio" on Broadway Road in Shanghai.

As soon as he stepped through the door, a young apprentice hurried over to greet him: "Right this way, sir. Would you like a full-body portrait or a half-body one?"

Grandfather said: "A full-body portrait, standing proud between heaven and earth."

"Have you ever had your picture taken here before?"

"Once a year; photographed in the spring, not in the autumn."

The young apprentice glanced outside the door and said in a low voice: "Please wait a moment, sir."

The young apprentice turned and went into the back room, running back out a moment later: "Please come inside, sir."

After turning several corners, Grandfather followed the young apprentice into the darkroom where photographs were washed.

"Instructor Zeng, I trust you have been well since we last met." Grandfather cupped his hands in a greeting.

Zeng Jingwu stood up and laughed heartily: "Ha-ha, as long as the reactionaries do not perish for a day, I will not rest for a day."

After the War of Resistance against Japan, Zeng Jingwu had been lying low in Shanghai. Although the Chinese Communist Party's underground organization had been subjected to several Kuomintang purges, it remained intact and even showed a growing, expanding trend. The few lines of dialogue between Grandfather and the young apprentice just now were the contact passcodes Zeng Jingwu had left for Grandfather.

"Has Instructor Zeng heard about the Kuomintang murdering over a dozen Communists?"

"Of course."

"Is Fang Jiyu really a Communist?"

Zeng Jingwu shook his head and sighed: "He is not. He is our party's close comrade-in-arms. During the War of Resistance, he provided us with supplies, and during the Kuomintang-Communist negotiations, he voiced his support for us."

"Just because of that, the Kuomintang killed him?"

"Reactionaries, after all, always stand on the opposite side of the people, harboring a sea of blood and deep grudges. That is why we must eliminate the reactionaries! Liberate the whole of China!"

"Can it succeed? Old Jiang has millions of troops. Aren't those few rifles of yours waiting a bit too long?"

"We cannot wait any longer. Old Jiang is no fool; how could he wait for us to grow and expand? An army's strength lies not in its numbers, but in its elite quality."

Grandfather nodded, then asked again: "Is Yun Caiwei a Communist?"

"She is even less so. Actually, the Kuomintang staged this play for two reasons. First, to take the opportunity to swallow up Boss Fang's pharmacy business. Boss Fang's business spans all over the country with assets in the millions. The Kuomintang once demanded that he pay military rations by apportionment, to which Boss Fang replied: 'Fighting the Japanese, I would gladly bankrupt my family and ruin my estate without a second thought; fighting our own people, not a single penny.' Second, to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys, warning all the major capitalists in Shanghai not to choose the wrong side!"

Grandfather came to a sudden realization: "So that is how it was. Then what about Fang Jiyu's sixth concubine?"

"The sixth concubine's real name is Shen Xiaoluan, and she is a spy for the Military Statistics Bureau. This time, she brought down Boss Fang, but her own identity was also exposed, and she could no longer stay in Shanghai, so she was transferred back to the Nanjing Secrecy Bureau," Zeng Jingwu said.

"Of those dozen people killed, none were genuine Communists?" Grandfather asked again.

"This... this I cannot say. The organization has regulations. Please forgive me, Grandfather."

"Understood, understood." After saying this, Grandfather pulled a stack of fiat currency from his sleeve, "I hope Instructor Zeng will accept this money!"

"This will not do, this will not do!" Zeng Jingwu pushed it away with a sweep of his hand, "I am a Communist now, not a member of the Axe Gang. We have our own operational funds, and we are not allowed to take the people's money."

"Ha-ha-ha-ha." Grandfather laughed, "This is not subsidy money; this is repayment of a debt of gratitude. Back then in Zhoushan, if Instructor Zeng had not risked his life to help, my 'Muzi Lian' would likely have been wiped out entirely. At that time, the branch had no money and couldn't repay the favor even if we wanted to. Later, we drifted from place to place, and now that we have returned to Shanghai and the branch's days are better, this debt of gratitude, I must repay it. This is not just my personal intention, but the wish of all the brothers of 'Muzi Lian'. It has nothing to do with what political party you belong to. If Instructor Zeng refuses to accept it, it means you no longer treat us as brothers."

Zeng Jingwu also laughed: "Grandfather, you are putting me in a difficult position."

"It is not difficult. I still have a favor to ask."

"What is it? As long as it does not violate organizational discipline, I will do my utmost to help."

Grandfather smiled slightly...

More than twenty days later, the leaders of the southern, northern, and western factions, each bringing several dam-heads, arrived in Jianghuai one after another.

Grandfather kept the First Dam-head and Sixth Dam-head behind to look after the house and protect the grounds. He led the Second Dam-head, Third Dam-head, Fourth Dam-head, and Fifth Dam-head to the meeting place in the suburbs to welcome them.

The theme of this meeting: During the Kuomintang-Communist Civil War, how should one hunt roe deer?

Before the meeting, a meal came first; this was called washing away the dust of travel. Over twenty people squeezed around two tables, and Grandfather arranged the best wine, dishes, melons, and fruits.

The dam-heads from the northern faction turned green with envy the moment they laid eyes on the grease-drenched braised chicken legs and the steaming hot bamboo steamer small buns. Whether one is living well or not can be tested right at the dining table; seeing food makes one restless. Fidgeting and scratching the scalp—they must be terribly starved; looking at it once and feeling full, whether they eat it or not makes no difference—they must be stuffed beyond endurance every single day.

Jiang Feiyan looked at the table full of food and suddenly asked Grandfather: "Is there any shredded salted mustard greens?"

The dam-heads of the northern faction were stunned silly. Goodness gracious, you want shredded salted mustard greens in front of ravenous meat dishes? Is this an insult to our northern faction's rumbling, empty bellies?

Grandfather smiled: "It is prepared for you. Steward, bring out our pickled shredded mustard tubers."

Qin Baichuan also smiled: "Sister Yan has good taste, and I, Old Qin with the beard, also have a liking for this flavor."

Qian Yuelin also chimed in with a smile: "Old man here cannot compare to everyone else. Life in the north has not been easy, and my subordinate brothers treating themselves to a tea egg feels just like celebrating a festival."

Grandfather smiled: "You jest, Elder Qian. Come, come, everyone do not just sit there. Eat, come, come." With that, he personally clipped a chicken leg for each of the several dam-heads brought by Qian Yuelin, saying, "Don't hold back, eat, eat."

Those few dam-heads—one named Zhou Tianlei, one named Xu Peilin, and one named Miao Yazhi—saw Grandfather showing such warm hospitality, and a wave of warmth immediately flooded their hearts: the eastern faction really lived a good life.

After a round of mutual toasts, Grandfather put down his wine cup and said: "Today, our four branches of Southeast, Northwest, and Center are meeting. This is a gathering that bridges the past and the future. The foreign devils occupied our China for eight years and were finally driven out. Next comes our own Chinese business. Regardless of whether the Kuomintang and the Communist Party fight or not, and regardless of who wins, our 'Jiangxiang Sect' will inevitably fish for a share of the spoils in this troubled world."

"Well said." Qian Yuelin stroked his goatee and said, "This old man believes that after being depressed for so long, the time has come for the 'Jiangxiang Sect' to restore its former glory."

Qin Baichuan glanced sideways at Qian Yuelin and said, "During the eight-year War of Resistance, I, Qin, lived alone in Xichuan while everyone else ran about hither and thither. I was unable to help with anything, for which I feel deeply apologetic."

"Grandfather, these pickled mustard tubers are truly delicious," Jiang Feiyan interjected.

The atmosphere instantly became a bit awkward, and Grandfather hurried to echo Qin Baichuan with a remark: "What is Elder Qin saying? When we were running for our lives, Elder Qin repeatedly extended a helping hand. Family remains family after all. Come, I will toast Elder Qin alone!"

Qin Baichuan smiled faintly: "Let us drink together, together."

Grandfather continued: "Although the current situation is not as chaotic anymore, business is not easy to run. After various enlightenment propagandas emerged, ghost and deity matters have become harder to manipulate..."

Before Grandfather could finish speaking, Zhou Tianlei, who was chewing on half a chicken leg, could no longer hold back: "First Master is right. The Communist Party cracks down on 'sectarian societies' in the base areas. Not to mention putting on a god-pretending ghost act, the moment you just raise your fortune-telling yin-yang banner, the fellow villagers will come at your backside with manure forks."

The vegetables in the Second Dam-head's mouth almost sprayed out: "Your backside? Ha-ha-ha-ha."

Grandfather also let out a secret chuckle and sighed inwardly. For thousands of years, never had anyone cracked down on "sectarian societies" as resolutely as the Communist Party. The "military horse" scam techniques of the "Jiangxiang Sect" had almost no room for use in the north. From this perspective, people really ought to thank the Communist Party. The Communist Party saw through all of this: traditional Chinese studies and superstition are two different things, and all sorts of divine charlatans must no longer use the banner of promoting national studies to deceive the general public. The Communist Party's propaganda team laid bare the ultimate truth in a single sentence: the three branches of national studies take Confucianism as the surface, Daoism as the skeleton, and Buddhism as the heart. The ultimate thought of all three schools talks about human conduct, worldly affairs, and doing good to accumulate virtue. Looking around at the fortune-tellers large and small, which one of them possesses the surface of Confucianism, the skeleton of Daoism, and the heart of Buddhism? Vulgar and sordid one by one, drawing lots, telling fortunes, and setting up feng shui arrays, roaming the streets like cabbage vendors, preaching benevolence, righteousness, and morality to everyone else while hiding in the background to gorge themselves on cold pork offerings. If ghosts truly existed in this world, they would be a group of gluttonous, lazy freeloaders who reap without sowing.

Qian Yuelin glared fiercely at Zhou Tianlei: "Eating food still isn't enough to shut your mouth!"

Zhou Tianlei's face flushed red, and he said no more.

Qin Baichuan chimed in: "Business in Xichuan is not easy either. Some Kuomintang aides are also trying to poach our foundation."

Qian Yuelin glanced at Jiang Feiyan and said, "Does First Master Feiyan have any high insights?"

"Ah?" Jiang Feiyan feigned ignorance.

"Elder Qian is asking how Sister Yan's business is doing," Grandfather hastily smoothed things over.

"Oh, same as always."

Just two words—"same as always"—and Jiang Feiyan said nothing more. She was still holding a grudge against Qian Yuelin for secretly running down south with his disciples last year to poach their turf.

Grandfather said: "Recently, many 'sectarian societies' in Jianghuai have experienced a resurgence, and among them are quite a few experts, many of whom are rumored to possess genuine skills. Aside from methods like Eight Characters and the Six Yi, some people have started playing with character analysis, dream interpretation, and mind-easy divination."

"What is mind-easy divination?" Qin Baichuan asked.

Grandfather explained: "It means not relying on any fortune-telling methods, but instead relying on the immediate scene, every single matter, every single object, and every single word and phrase, all of which can be used to make deductions."

"Please give an example for us to understand, Grandfather." Qian Yuelin also grew interested.

Grandfather smiled and said: "Take matchmaking for instance. The groom's family brings the bride's Eight Characters to consult a fortuneteller. The fortuneteller waves his hand and says, 'I never look at Eight Characters. What is this young woman's name?' The groom's family replies, 'Zhang Meiqiong.' The fortuneteller then declares, 'This woman cannot be married; 'Mei' sounds like 'Mei' meaning none, having nothing at all; 'Qiong' means destitute and impoverished. Bringing a wife like this into the family will inevitably lead to the decline of the household fortunes.' Or take the bride's family bringing the groom's Eight Characters to consult. The fortuneteller still asks: 'What is this man's name?' The bride's family replies, 'Wang Guofu.' The fortuneteller then laughs heartily and says, 'Wang Guofu means a husband of a perished nation. A man like this absolutely cannot be married.'"

After hearing this, Qian Yuelin smiled and said: "This is utilizing the method of homophonic naming to frighten ordinary people. A perfectly fine name, once explained by the fortuneteller, becomes tainted with bad luck."

Grandfather said: "This is precisely the winning magic weapon of this group of fortunetellers. If the man and woman insist on getting married and staying together, the fortuneteller will seize the opportunity to issue a disaster-relieving checklist—things like donating money, adjusting the feng shui, drawing protective talismans, finding a puppy as a scapegoat, or finding a peach tree as a matchmaker. By the time the whole set of procedures is finished, it will cost at least a few hundred."

"Makes sense, makes sense." Qian Yuelin nodded in praise.

Grandfather continued: "The better a name is, the worse it becomes through their mouths. For example, Song Shouzhong (sounds like sending one off to the end of life), Wang Wenshu (sounds like perishing and steadily losing), Yang Yulang (sounds like a sheep encountering a wolf), Duan Mingren (sounds like a person whose life is cut short), Shen Qiushui (sounds like interrogating prisoners in water), Dan Yanjing (sounds like castrated clean)..."

Jiang Feiyan, sitting to one side, couldn't help laughing.

Qin Baichuan burst into loud laughter: "So this is mind-easy divination?"

Grandfather said: "This is only one aspect. There is also determining good and bad fortune based on the physical scenery at the time. For instance, if a merchant comes to inquire about business and it happens to start pouring rain, the fortuneteller will tell the person, 'Water represents wealth, and this external omen is telling you that your business will definitely thrive in the future! It is just that the rainwater is too excessive, and excessive wealth will certainly give rise to disasters; you need to spend money to avert disaster.'

"Or take someone who wants to buy a house and invites such a fortuneteller along to act as an advisor. Just as they are nearing the destination, they happen to see two dogs fighting. The fortuneteller will say, 'Turn back, this house cannot be bought. Two dogs fighting is called a 'prison' [the Chinese character for prison contains two dog radicals], and if you move into this house, you will suffer imprisonment.'"

Qin Baichuan nodded and said: "This theory of external omens still has some logic to it."

Qian Yuelin said: "Such low-level scams—would ordinary people believe them?"

Grandfather smiled: "In the world of scams, the intelligence quotient of ordinary people has no bottom line. No matter how low-level a scam is, there is always a group of people who will echo it. Among all living beings, if Zhang San doesn't believe it, Li Si will; if Li Si doesn't believe it, Wang Wu will. Scams pursue probability."

Qian Yuelin nodded deeply, then said: "This set of tricks is a match for the 'walking horse yin-yang art' popular in the north."

"I'd love to hear the details." The reason Grandfather threw out this topic was precisely to get the leaders of the various factions to talk about the novel scams in their respective regions.

Qian Yuelin stroked his beard and spoke with eloquence: "The 'walking horse yin-yang' claims to be a school of feng shui, and its practitioners boast about it as if it were divine. Ordinary feng shui masters use a Luopan compass for on-the-spot investigations, first determining the Eight Trigram directions and dragon vein trends, then observing the five elements' mutual generation and restriction and the good and bad omens of the six beasts. However, the 'walking horse yin-yang art' is different. They do not rely on any tools; they simply take a stroll around your courtyard as swiftly as a passing horse, and immediately give out the verdict of good or bad fortune."

"Is it accurate?" Qin Baichuan asked.

"Heh. Whether it is accurate or not, only ghosts know. They have a secret manual claiming to be the 'Walking Horse Yin-Yang Mental Skill.' This old man was fortunate enough to obtain a copy. Upon opening it, I found it was entirely modeled after the style of the 'Military Horse Chapter' of our 'Jiangxiang Sect,' except that the wording was vulgar and easy to understand, tailored specifically for illiterate commoners. To put it bluntly, it is just vernacular, rotten rhyming poetry that hedges its bets on both ends," Qian Yuelin said.

"Elder Qian, tell us in detail." Grandfather's eyes flashed, and he raised his wine cup.

After taking a deep drink, Qian Yuelin recited the core chants of "Walking Horse Yin-Yang" in one breath. Everyone present admired the old fellow's memory.

Two trees in front of the door, two surnames live in this household.

Behind there is a bay, must guard against licentious women running astray.

The front door faces the outhouse, the child's life will not last.

Crossroads intersection, sooner or later young lives lost.

House is tall and open on all sides, shoulder pole cannot carry sounds wide.

House is low and rainwater pools, primary wealth flourishes and blooms.

...

Grandfather listened attentively, carefully pondering these divinatory phrases. True enough, they mixed truth with falsehood, rhymed well, and were colloquial and easy to understand.

Embedded within these chants were, to varying degrees, some knowledge of "Yang Gong Feng Shui," which was the real deal. But upon second thought, what use were truth and falsehood? "Yang Gong Feng Shui" could be said to be China's largest feng shui school. Its founder, Yang Yunsong, devoted his entire life to the development of feng shui arts, and his fame was grand enough to be mentioned on par with Mencius, yet his ultimate end was miserably tragic.

Just as True Person Peng had said back then, those who calculated the secrets of heaven never came to a good end in the end. They peered into heavenly secrets, played with the five elements, and wished to use this to bring blessings to the people, but things often turned against their wishes. Why? Because they ignored the importance of human beings as a subject's own self-cultivation. Whether feng shui, Eight Characters, or Qimen Dunjia, all were external things. Entrusting one's future and destiny to external things was in itself an act of losing oneself. The unity of heaven and man, with the human heart as the essential part; without emphasizing one's own self-cultivation and the elevation of one's spiritual realm, all external rituals were merely flowers in a mirror and the moon in the water.

Yang Yunsong was born in the late Tang dynasty, supremely intelligent. He understood the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams and the Seven-Star Dragon Veins thoroughly. Walking the rivers and lakes with feng shui arts for decades, his fame soared. Countless apprentices swarmed in, scrambling to emulate him, which opened the floodgates of sin. People believed in feng shui while abandoning their own moral cultivation. Those committing evil, harboring ill intents, or plotting rebellion all attempted to rely on feng shui arts to aid their ambitions.

In the year 900 AD, the warlord of Ganzhou, Lu Guangchou, sought out Yang Yunsong and asked him to adjust the feng shui of his ancestral graves to fulfill his imperial dream. Yang Yunsong exerted all his strength to relocate the burial site of Lu Guangchou's mother to a flourishing feng shui location. Afterwards, Lu Guangchou set up a banquet to express his gratitude and poisoned Yang Yunsong's wine. Lu Guangchou thought: Since you can adjust feng shui for me, you can adjust it for any warlord; I must kill you to eliminate any future trouble.

Poor Yang Yunsong drank the poisoned wine unwittingly. On his way home, he suddenly felt a stomachache and hurriedly asked his apprentice: "Where are we walking now?"

The apprentice replied: "This place is called 'Yao Kou' [Medicine Mouth]."

Upon hearing this, goosebumps broke out all over Yang Yunsong's body: "Yao Kou, Yao Kou, the medicine has already entered the mouth. My life is finished!"

A generation of feng shui masters thus passed away with lingering resentment.

Whenever he thought of these ancient masters, Grandfather would sigh endlessly. China's talented people were too clever; they could peer into countless heavenly secrets, inventing yin and yang and the five elements, the nine palaces and eight trigrams, and all sorts of fortune-telling methods, yet they could never grasp their own destinies. On the contrary, some seemingly dull people possessed a natural, unpretentious simplicity. They understood nothing of yin and yang or the eight trigrams; they only knew how to be good human beings and live up to their consciences, yet every single one of them had children and grandchildren filling the hall and enjoyed peace and health throughout their lives. This was precisely the saying: fools have foolish blessings.

"There is also a kind of fortune-telling art in Xichuan called 'Calculating Your Surname.' It is quite mysterious," Qin Baichuan chimed in.

Upon hearing this, Grandfather thought that if even the battle-hardened Big-Bearded Qin called this method mysterious, then it must surely possess some elusive tricks up its sleeve.

"I'd love to hear the details," Grandfather said.

Qin Baichuan laughed heartily: "This is actually a primary-stage tactic for hooking roe deer, just like feeding a pig medicine before slaughtering it. Only after you lose your guard do they swing the heavy blade."

"Please tell us in detail, Elder Qin." Qian Yuelin also grew interested.

"May I ask Grandfather to fetch the Four Treasures of the Study?" Qin Baichuan said.

Grandfather nodded and motioned to Second Old Wu, who immediately brought out the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

Qin Baichuan spread out four sheets of paper, thought for a moment, and wrote about twenty surnames on each sheet. Then he said to Grandfather: "Grandfather, think of a surname in your heart, but do not tell me."

Grandfather smiled and nodded.

Qin Baichuan held up one sheet of paper and asked Grandfather: "Is the surname Grandfather is thinking of in here?"

Grandfather looked and replied: "No."

Qin Baichuan held up another sheet: "How about in this one?"

Grandfather replied: "Yes."

Qin Baichuan held up the remaining two: "And in these two?"

Grandfather replied: "The one in the left hand does not have it, but the one in the right hand has it."

Qin Baichuan laughed heartily, then said with confidence: "This gentleman, your surname is Zhao!"

Grandfather also smiled and nodded in admiration.

Second Dam-head was very surprised: "Elder Qin, how did you know Grandfather chose the surname 'Zhao'?"

Qin Baichuan laid all four sheets of paper containing the Hundred Family Surnames on the table and analyzed the mystery behind it for everyone.

Finally, everyone understood. This was actually a form of permutation and combination. The fortuneteller's so-called "calculating your surname without you opening your mouth" was actually produced by interweaving choices across different cards of surnames. A highly skilled fortuneteller could intertwine a roe deer's surname using just three cards.

However, this scam also had a loophole: the seeker's surname had to be among those listed on the boards. If it were an extremely obscure surname, such as Yehonala or Niohuru, and the fortuneteller had not included it, flaws would show at that moment.

Fortunately, the four major surnames of Zhang, Wang, Li, and Zhao accounted for nearly 20% of the population, and coupled with dozens of other commonly used surnames, over 80% of the population could be covered. As a result, fortunetellers could almost achieve a record of never missing.

Calculating your surname was merely a bait to make people feel admiration and trust towards him, so as to arouse their desire for divination. Next, whatever wealth, official career, children, and so forth he said would be entirely up to him, and in the end, the roe deer would always pull out dozens of yuan to express gratitude. (Note: This scam is still circulated to this day. Many scammers often appear in morning exercise places like parks and squares to swindle old ladies, charging five yuan a time.)

That night, after the banquet dispersed, Grandfather once again spent the night sleepless.

The council meetings over the next few days were nothing more than summarizing experiences, exchanges between the four major branches, and then formulating cooperative scam strategies for the new year.

On the final day, Grandfather prepared a lavish banquet to treat the various masters and dam-heads.

When the drinking was half-way through, Grandfather suddenly rose with his cup and said: "The ability of the 'Jiangxiang Sect' to endure hardships and reach today relies entirely on the unity of the four major branches. Although we reside in four different places, our hearts have always been twisted together. During these past few days of meetings, I have deeply learned of Elder Qian's predicament in the north; the northern faction's business is not going well, which is not the fault of Elder Qian and the brothers, but rather dictated by the times. But I believe that as long as the four branches share weal and woe, we can get past any difficult hurdle. Though the eastern faction is unworthy, we are willing to donate 3,000 silver dollars to the brothers of the northern faction to help them tide over this difficult time!"

Qian Yuelin hurriedly wiped his mouth, thinking he had misheard, and struggled to lift his numb, drunken scalp as he said: "Does Grandfather mean..."

"Elder Qian, my eastern faction voluntarily donates 3,000 silver dollars to the northern faction. I hope Elder Qian will magnanimously accept it with a smile," Grandfather said.

Qian Yuelin finally heard clearly, and his lower abdomen grew hot with joy: "This... this... this makes this old man feel so unworthy... Heh."

Even Qin Baichuan turned green with envy, putting down his wine cup to say: "Grandfather is so magnanimous! I admire you, truly admire you!"

Jiang Feiyan, however, remained silent. She understood clearly that with Grandfather pulling this stunt, Qian Yuelin at least would no longer harbor designs on the four southeastern provinces.

The three dam-heads under Qian Yuelin were already so excited they didn't know what to do with their hands and feet, looking at each other and casting gazes of gratitude and respect toward Grandfather.

Qian Yuelin raised his wine cup, leaned toward Grandfather, and said: "Adversity reveals true feelings; when families are poor, they think of their brothers. Grandfather's immense kindness today, this old man will never forget for the rest of his life. Once the northern faction prospers, we will return every single penny! I toast Grandfather!"

"Elder Qian speaks too seriously. The four branches are as close as hands and feet; there is no need for such politeness. Please!"

The two drank it down in one gulp.

Zhou Tianlei, Xu Peilin, and Miao Yazhi also stood up and raised their cups: "We toast the First Master of the eastern faction."

Grandfather waved his hand and said: "Wrong, wrong. You should toast Elder Qian. If not for Elder Qian holding down the fort as the pillar of strength, leading you through wind and rain on southern and northern campaigns for all these years, you would likely have been drifting lost in the secular world long ago."

Upon hearing this, the three hurriedly turned to Qian Yuelin: "Master is above, your disciples wish you longevity and health!"

Qian Yuelin smiled so hard his eyes disappeared.

Qin Baichuan looked on calmly at all this: Well played, Grandfather, playing the psychological card.

Grandfather gave a light cough twice toward the brothers of "Muzi Lian." Second Dam-head, Third Dam-head, Fourth Dam-head, and Fifth Dam-head caught the hint, picked up their wine cups, and took turns coming forward to clink glasses frequently with the visiting masters and dam-heads from afar.

Especially Second Dam-head, who had a bottomless capacity and was invincible. Drinking alcohol was just like drinking water to him, resembling a wild horse that had broken loose from its reins, galloping freely in a wild, unconstrained river of heaven.

"Bottoms up! It has to be bottomed up! Wine is the grain's essence, the more you drink, the younger you get! I'll drink this first as a toast!" Second Dam-head sprayed spittle in all directions.

"Second Master, we cannot hold our liquor..." said the men from the western and northern factions.

"I couldn't hold mine before either, but you practice and you can. I'm offering my brother a drink, if he doesn't drink it, he thinks I'm ugly. Do you think I'm ugly?"

"Not at all, not at all, Second Master has a wondrous bone structure, I... I really cannot drink anymore... I'll take a bite of food to settle my stomach first." Zhou Tianlei was already dizzy-headed from Second Dam-head's forced toasts.

"Wine is your own dear father and dishes are your mother, drinking yourself to death is still better than eating yourself to death! Come, bottoms up!" Second Dam-head let out another clamor.

Grandfather chuckled wave after wave, thinking to himself where this fellow picked up so many lines.

Later on, Second Dam-head's tongue lost its strength, his gaze grew distant, and holding the kettle handle as if it were the spout, he kept wondering to himself: Why won't it pour anything out?

Amidst the interweaving goblets, one person persistently refused to drink. That was Qin Baichuan's eldest disciple: Shen Dingwang.

Shen Dingwang had made his stance clear beforehand: "Grandfather, esteemed masters, this junior has never drunk alcohol since childhood. The moment it touches me, bumps break out all over my body, followed by pain in all my joints. Please forgive me, esteemed masters. This junior can only use tea in place of wine to toast everyone."

Grandfather knew there were people who naturally could not drink alcohol due to physiological reasons. Regardless of whether Shen Dingwang fell into this category, it was inappropriate to force someone else to drink.

It was Second Dam-head who couldn't stand seeing such people.

"A man who doesn't drink alcohol walks the world in vain; a man who doesn't visit prostitutes strolls the world for nothing. Brother Shen, you... are you even a man!" The drunken Second Dam-head wanted to pick a bone.

"Heh." Shen Dingwang blushed and said, "Second Master, aside from not being able to drink, pick any other matter you like and this younger brother will certainly accompany you to the end."

Qin Baichuan narrowed his eyes and said nothing.

"Good!" Second Dam-head slammed the table and stood up. "Drink vinegar! Second Master Wu, bring vinegar!"

Second Old Wu turned and went out, returning shortly with a large bucket of vinegar.

Grandfather smiled upon seeing this and said: "Are you two brothers really going to contest drinking vinegar?"

Second Dam-head let out a burp, shook his head, and said: "Grandfather, they came from afar and don't touch a drop of wine; how could I have the face for it? I heard wine makers say, 'The jars of wine brewing always brew vinegar first.' Wine and vinegar are both grain essences, and the more you drink them, the younger you get! Hey... you, Second Old Wu, go get two more large bowls."

Second Old Wu brought up two blue-and-white porcelain large bowls.

"Fill them up!" Second Dam-head said.

Second Old Wu lifted the vinegar bucket and poured out two large bowls with loud glugs.

"Brother Shen, please!" Second Dam-head raised the large bowl.

"Second Master, please!" Shen Dingwang showed no weakness.

The two raised their necks and poured a bowl of vinegar down. Everyone at the table felt their mouths turn sour just watching.

"Again!"

"Please!"

"Please!"

"Again!"

"Please!"

"Please!"

The two drank more than ten bowls each in one breath.

Second Dam-head swayed as he asked: "Brother Shen, how is it?"

Shen Dingwang swallowed a mouthful of sour water and said: "Exhilarating!"

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Qin Baichuan let out a hearty laugh. "That's a disciple of our 'Jiangxiang Sect'!"

"Again!" Second Dam-head raised his bowl once more.

Shen Dingwang shook his head.

"What's wrong? Can't take it anymore?" Second Dam-head asked.

"A single skill is hard to distinguish a winner! I have a suggestion, dare Second Master follow along?" Shen Dingwang said loudly.

"As long as it's not eating shit or drinking piss, through a mountain of blades or a sea of fire, Second Master will follow you all the way!"

"Good! In our Sichuan, true men dare to eat raw chili peppers straight without adding any other food. Does Second Master dare?" Shen Dingwang provoked.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha. I thought it was what. Isn't it just eating chili peppers? Tell me, how do you want to eat them?"

"You and I take half a catty of raw chili peppers each, without adding anything else, and eat them straight down. Does Second Master dare?"

"Second Old Wu, bring out the chili peppers!" Second Dam-head clamored.

Second Old Wu froze for a moment and glanced at Grandfather.

Grandfather blinked and said: "Are there no chili peppers left in the kitchen?"

"Oh! There are! There are! Hebei's 'Little Buddha's Palm'! I'll go get them."

"Little Buddha's Palm," also known as "Chili-to-Death," was a type of chili pepper produced in Hebei. It was entirely red all over and shaped like a Buddha's hand. Because it was extraordinarily spicy, it was generally only used as a seasoning ingredient. A normal person eating even a single bite, or even a tiny speck, would have their tongue burning like fire.

A moment later, Second Old Wu walked in carrying a bundle of "Little Buddha's Palm."

Second Dam-head reached out, snatched them, spread them out on the table, divided them into two piles, and said to Shen Dingwang: "Brother Shen, please go first."

"Good." Shen Dingwang picked one up, put it in his mouth, and chewed with a crunchy sound.

The several female A-baos under Jiang Feiyan were dumbfounded, curling their lips and muttering: "How spicy must that be."

Second Dam-head also picked one up, put it in his mouth, and chewed vigorously.

Just like that, the two of them, one stick after another, finished eating a bundle of chili peppers in no time. Looking at their complexions now, their faces were flushed like a fire, their skin bright red all the way to the roots of their necks, their eyes bloodshot, whites of their eyes turned red, and tears streaming down uncontrollably.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Grandfather laughed wildly.

Qin Baichuan, Qian Yuelin, and Jiang Feiyan also burst into laughter together.

"Quickly fetch them some cold water to relieve the spice," Grandfather instructed Second Old Wu.

Second Old Wu turned to go out.

Suddenly, a burst of hurried footsteps sounded in the courtyard.

Everyone instantly became vigilant.

With a loud bang, the door pushed open, and more than ten police officers rushed in with lightning speed, surrounding everyone tightly.

The sudden turn of events left everyone at a loss.

Grandfather stood up and asked: "What is the meaning of this, gentlemen?"

"Cut the crap! Arrest the communist bandits!" the leader said.

"Communist bandits?" Grandfather was a bit confused.

"Which one is Qian Yuelin?" the leader asked.

Qian Yuelin's disciple Zhou Tianlei stood up: "I am."

The leader looked at Zhou Tianlei and slapped him across the face: " fcuk your mother! Intelligence shows it's an old geezer! You hairless piece of trash want to impersonate him!"

Qian Yuelin stood up: "I am."

The leader looked at Qian Yuelin: "Mm. Came running to Jianghuai to make contact, huh? The Military Statistics Bureau has been eyeing you for a long time. Take him away!"

Qian Yuelin calmly said: "The Military Statistics Bureau has been eyeing me?"

The leader smiled: "Still playing dumb? You old fox hiding in the dark, thinking that by flying the fortune-telling banner as a disguise we wouldn't be able to catch you? And you lot!" He pointed at the crowd and said, "You bunch of fortunetellers babbling all day long, talking about Tieziban divine calculations and foreseeing things before they happen—you don't know shit. Qian Yuelin is a Communist, did you calculate that? A bunch of foolish birds!"

"Take them away! Take them away!"

At the leader's command, Qian Yuelin was tied up and pushed out.

"Grandfather, what's going on?" Qin Baichuan asked anxiously.

Grandfather furrowed his brows deeply, unable to provide an answer for the moment.