A Prophet - Chapter 26 (Part 3)

Chapter 3 - The Five Elements: Generation, Restriction, and Counter-Restriction

Wan Suxin came to Zhou Yulang's home once again.

"Master, you were completely right. He really could pull off such a scumbag move; he said he wanted to slaughter me! They always say a single day as husband and wife brings a hundred days of grace, but once a husband and wife turn against each other, they become even more bitter than mortal enemies!"

"Sigh! Husband and wife are merely birds of the same forest; when disaster strikes, each flies off in their own direction. You, my child, simply place far too much weight on emotional bonds. You are a kind-hearted person, you simply chose the wrong partner."

"What Master says is true. Back when I married him, I saw that he... I saw that he was good-looking and eloquent. His father was a veteran petroleum worker, he was a permanent employee himself, and his family background was quite decent. I never expected him to show this kind of face now. If he stubbornly refuses to get a divorce, what on earth should I do?"

Zhou Yulang let out a chuckle: "How did you manage to confuse yourself so thoroughly? Have you forgotten? You hold his Achilles' heel right in your hands; does he dare refuse to divorce?"

Wan Suxin was stunned, then suddenly enlightened: "Oh... Right, right. He had a child with someone else. I can threaten him! If he doesn't agree to a divorce, I'll go to court and sue him!"

"Correct! But driving a person to the grave is unnecessary; never push things to absolute extremes. Don't infuriate him. While letting him understand the stakes and the seriousness of the situation, you mustn't back him into too tight of a corner. You can suggest separating for a period of time to see how things go, and if things truly don't work out, you can remarry later. As for the property, let him offer what he thinks is fair. By advancing through retreat and showing weakness, he will end up feeling pity for you instead."

Hearing this, Wan Suxin nodded deeply: "Master, you really have poured so much effort into worrying over this for me."

"Sigh. I have no choice either. If it weren't for seeing your inherently kind nature, I would never help anyone scheme a divorce. In our line of work, there are strict professional ethics: we cannot break up a family unless both parties mutually agree to a divorce. What a sin, what a sin."

"Thank you for your hard work, Master. You are helping me; you are doing a good deed."

"With you thinking like this, I feel a great deal more comforted. Also, you must never reveal that I was the one behind the scenes scheming this for you, or else your husband will surely come looking to settle accounts with me!"

"Rest assured, Master. I will never breathe a word."

A month later, Wan Suxin paid another visit.

"Master, I'm divorced. It's completely and cleanly done!" Wan Suxin beamed with a smile.

"Hehe. That's the way it should be. Your happy life is about to begin right now."

"Mm-hmm. I followed the method Master pointed out and had a heart-to-heart talk with him. I told him I didn't want anything anymore—I just wanted a shred of peace and to live alone. Upon hearing that, he actually broke down in tears. He said he failed me and hoped I would think it over carefully before making a final decision. I told him I had thought about it for a very long time, and added that since I couldn't bear children, I had truly let him down. He replied that he would always love me, and finally tossed 300,000 yuan at me, even saying he hoped I could return to his side in the future."

At this point, Wan Suxin's voice choked with emotion. A trace of sudden sorrow welled up inside her, and scenes of deep marital affection from years past began spinning through her mind: "Sigh... the impermanence of human life."

Zhou Yulang caught this moment with his very un-blind eyes, and hurriedly pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, handing it over.

Wan Suxin took it, wiped her tears away, and suddenly felt something was amiss: "Master, how did you know I was crying?"

Zhou Yulang immediately felt he had been a bit too reckless just now. His brain raced at lightning speed, and with a chuckle, he said, "I'll let you in on a secret, but you must never tell outsiders."

"What is so mysterious?"

"Well, ever since I was a little child, I've had a special ability—I possess the Heavenly Eye."

"The Heavenly Eye?"

"Correct! Surely you've heard of how many people who practice Qigong have opened their Heavenly Eyes?"

"I've certainly heard of that, but I've never actually seen it."

Zhou Yulang was effectively capitalizing on the social rumors of the 1980s. At that time, China was in the grip of a massive Qigong craze. Opening the Heavenly Eye, guessing objects through solid partitions, miraculous feats of divine capture, Qilin manifestations, recognizing characters through one's ears, and psychokinesis were everywhere. Even Hong Kong and Taiwanese films incorporated these elements; shadow figures of Mainland supernatural masters could be found in movies like God of Gamblers and All for the Winner.

"When I was five years old, I suddenly became able to see wandering ghosts and spirits all around me. Of course, I didn't see them with my physical eyes—being blind, I relied on the Heavenly Eye within my heart to always catch glimpses of things both real and illusory. I have never told a single soul about these matters," Zhou Yulang added.

"Ah? Master possesses this kind of ability too?"

Zhou Yulang nodded: "It is a form of suffering. Seeing things that others cannot see—tell me, isn't that terrifying?"

"Mm-hmm. I read in the newspaper that people who have opened their Heavenly Eye can see right through a person's internal organs and diagnose illnesses. Is that true?"

"Of course it's true!"

"Then... then can Master take a look at me, and see if there's anything wrong with my body? Especially regarding the matter of having children."

Zhou Yulang lifted his chin, swiveled his head, and said, "I generally don't reveal this ability. But because it's you—you're a kind person—I will help you out."

"Many thanks, Master." Wan Suxin stood up. "Do... do I need to take off my outer garments?"

Zhou Yulang frowned and said severely, "Take off your clothes for what? Someone with the Heavenly Eye can see right through walls! Asking someone to strip is nothing short of being a hooligan!"

Wan Suxin smiled and said, "Look at you, making it sound so serious. Then how should I cooperate with you?"

"Just stand there and don't move."

Zhou Yulang's eyes darted back and forth, using his peripheral vision to size Wan Suxin up from top to bottom as he thought to himself: Nice figure, nice breasts, nice ass.

"Your lungs have some issues," Zhou Yulang said after observing for a moment.

"Right! I even caught acute pneumonia last year."

"Mhm. Furthermore, your digestive system doesn't seem too great either..."

"Spot on, my appetite is poor. Master, take a look at my reproductive system—children, the key is children."

"Don't rush. Hmm... your uterus is exceptionally good, thick and full, except... except..."

"Except what?"

"Except... that's it, that's right..." Zhou Yulang said, struggling to roll his eyelids upward.

"What?"

"Take a seat. Listen to me explain slowly."

Wan Suxin hurriedly sat back down on the stool.

"Remember when I read your birth characters and told you that your children star had entered the tomb?"

"I remember, I remember."

Zhou Yulang put on a hesitant expression, stopping as if wanting to speak but holding back: "This bodily feature of yours... matches the characteristics of those birth characters precisely..."

"What do you mean? Please speak plainly, Master." Wan Suxin waited anxiously.

"Hehe... well... some things... I... I am a man of the Dao, it isn't very convenient for me to bring it up..."

"Oh, Master, you are a living Bodhisattva. You've helped me with so much, and you know all about my affairs; what could possibly be inconvenient to say? Please speak your mind directly, Master."

Zhou Yulang's face flushed red, looking like a bashful scholar being flirted with. He bit his lip and said, "That place of yours... that place of yours is a bit narrow... No wonder your birth characters show that it must be forcefully broken through, otherwise you will never be able to give birth to a child."

Wan Suxin's face flashed bright red as well, but after all, she was someone who had knocked around the business world. After a brief internal adjustment, she said naturally, "What you're saying is right, Master. Actually, we are both experienced adults; there's nothing that cannot be discussed."

Zhou Yulang quickly chimed in, "No, no, you are an experienced adult, but I haven't crossed that bridge yet."

Wan Suxin felt a wave of awkwardness: "I'm sorry, Master, I didn't know you weren't married yet. Hehe. A grand master like you—I assumed you would have been married long ago."

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. No offense taken by someone who doesn't know. No offense taken."

"Then... let me continue. That place of mine is indeed very tight. Since I'm standing before you, and you are my master, I won't feel embarrassed. I lived with my husband for seven years, and every single time... every single time after we finished, he would always say I felt just like a virgin..."

Hearing this, Zhou Yulang felt his entire body grow blazing hot. He hurriedly crossed his legs, stacking his right leg over his left to conceal the mystery of his physical arousal. Then he said, "Let's stop at a hint, let's stop at a hint. As long as you understand, that's enough. Let's drop this topic."

Wan Suxin smiled and said, "I never imagined Master could be so bashful."

"Hehe, I don't understand matters of romance and affection; I really don't."

Wan Suxin looked over this twenty-something fortunetelling young man once again, a sudden sparkle appearing in her eyes. The man possessed regular facial features and brows filled with emotional charm. If he weren't blind, he truly would be a talent of striking appearance—what a pity, what a pity.

"Oh, right, Master. Now that I'm divorced, what kind of man do you think would be most suitable for me to look for next?"

"Hmm." Zhou Yulang nodded. "Pardon my bluntness, but your destiny dictates a match of an older husband and a younger wife."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you need to find someone older than you—only then will it work."

"Older? How much older?"

"Roughly two full zodiac cycles."

Wan Suxin was so startled she nearly tipped backward off her stool: "Twenty years? Twenty years older?! Am I looking for a father or a husband?"

Zhou Yulang remained silent.

Wan Suxin realized she had lost her composure and quickly reined herself in: "Master, you aren't joking with me, are you?"

"Of course not!" Zhou Yulang said solemnly. "This is destiny. Since I have seen it, I must tell you the truth. Otherwise, if I simply picked flattering things to say, that wouldn't be fortune-telling—that would be spouting nonsense. What good would that do you?"

Cold sweat broke out on Wan Suxin: "Good heavens, looking for an old man in his fifties—what kind of destiny is this? Is my life really this bitter?"

"What is bitterness? What is joy? Being able to find someone who will love you for a lifetime is true happiness. Men in their forties are like a flower, women in their forties are like discarded bean curd. In ancient noble households, which wealthy lord wasn't still taking concubines in his forties or fifties? Weren't they living quite well?"

"Good grief, isn't there any other way out for me?"

"This is your exit. Life is fleeting, and seven decades have been rare since ancient times. Just think: twenty years from now, you'll be fifty, your children will have grown up, and your life will be nearly complete. To be able to spend twenty years living happily with someone—isn't that the joy of domestic harmony?"

"Sigh. My head is splitting from this. Why is my fate like this?!"

"You shouldn't be unhappy about it. Even if you wanted to find someone like that, you aren't guaranteed to succeed. Just think about it: men in their fifties generally already have a houseful of children. Finding one who is divorced is no easy task."

"Then I'd rather go my whole life without finding anyone!"

"Foolish talk. You are a woman with neither sons nor daughters at your knees; what will you do in the future? Even if you have mountains of money, what good will it be? You still need to find someone, give birth to a child, so you'll have someone to look after you in your old age."

"Oh, my head is aching to death."

Zhou Yulang smiled: "You needn't get a headache yet; the most important matter hasn't even been mentioned."

"What else is there?"

"Before getting married, you must first perform a rite to dispel bad luck and break open the tomb of your fate so that your children star can become active. Otherwise, once you get married and still fail to bear children, you'll run into trouble all over again!"

"Ah? Wouldn't it work if my future husband performs it to dispel the bad luck?"

Zhou Yulang curled his lip: "Did I fail to make myself clear, or did you fail to understand? What does dispelling bad luck mean? It means before officially getting married, you find someone whose birth characters possess strong energy to help you break through it. Only then can you officially marry! If you lump marriage and the bad-luck-dispelling ritual into one, what would be the point of having the ritual at all!"

Wan Suxin lowered her head in helplessness: "Good heavens. I might as well become a Buddhist nun. What kind of evil karma did I create in my past life..."

Zhou Yulang chuckled inwardly: You owed it to me in your past life.

Seventh Bahtou was also completely out of his wits during those days, frequently running over to Zhou Yulang's place.

"Master, let's chat some more."

"Chat about what? Go home and wait; fate won't arrive until the spring of next year."

"No, Master, let's talk. I just love listening to you speak."

"Hehe, with so many people coming to have their fortunes told here day in and day out, my mouth is already talked dry."

"How about this, Master? I'll buy some wine and food, and the two of us can have a session tonight."

"No, absolutely not. As a man of the Dao, I never drink alcohol."

Every time, Seventh Bahtou would return deeply disappointed.

Fourth Bahtou and I saw it all and felt deeply anxious: "We can't let this go on. We have to save Old Seven; his mind is completely bewitched!"

"Shall we go probe Blind Zhou's background?" said Fourth Bahtou.

"The question is how to probe him!"

"How about this: tomorrow you pretend to be a fortunetelling client, have him cast a hex for you, and test his professional chops?"

I nodded, and suddenly felt like laughing: "What has happened to us people from the 'River and Lake Syndicate'? For 300 years we told fortunes for ordinary mortals, and now we're running around begging others to tell our fortunes. Hehe."

"Cause and effect, cause and effect. Grandfather was right—cause and effect," Fourth Bahtou laughed heartily.

"Thinking back to Grandfather's prime, imposing and heroic, waving his... what kind of fan was it again?" I trailed off halfway, stuck.

Fourth Bahtou roared with laughter: "A feather fan and silk kerchief, while laughing and chatting, the 'Gathering of the Dao' was blown to dust! Repeating old tricks, you sentimental fool should laugh at me for growing white hair prematurely. Life is like a dream, dreams are like life. Old Seventh used a Nationalist army officer's wife's grief over her missing husband to set up a trap back then, yet now he is trapped by romance himself—isn't this pure retribution?"

Fourth Bahtou's few sighs left me filled with melancholy. Back when we used to swindle people, did we ever think about how much pain and desolation our marks suffered? Heaven's sins may be forgiven, but human sins bring their own doom; Old Seven has been wise his entire life only to become muddle-headed for a moment. Is it time? Is it destiny? Or is it cause and effect?

The next day, the former Number Five Bahtou of the "River and Lake Syndicate" knocked on Zhou Yulang's door.

"Greetings, Master Zhou!" I shouted aloud upon stepping inside.

"Who is it?"

"Heh heh heh, I've long admired Master's great name and have come specially to pay a visit today."

Zhou Yulang rolled his blank eyes: "May I ask your esteemed name?"

"Liu Tianliang."

"Heh heh heh, I don't know you."

"Master, whether you know me doesn't matter. I came here today to seek instruction."

"I wonder what Mr. Liu is seeking instruction on?"

"To ask Master Zhou for guidance on the metaphysical arts of divination."

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. I'm just a blind fortuneteller wandering the lakes and rivers to scrape together a living—how could I ever presume to accept the word 'instruction'!"

I smiled and said, "Master Zhou is too modest. We are all people of the same path; mutual exchange is only natural."

"Hehe, my apologies, my apologies. My late master left strict instructions beforehand: people of the same profession must not show off their learning to one another. I'm afraid Mr. Liu is bound to be disappointed today."

"Not at all, not at all. I simply admire Master's great name and wish to consult a thing or two. If Master refuses, I simply won't leave. You'll even have to treat me to a meal, heh heh heh."

Zhou Yulang's eyeballs twitched. Realizing I had come with ill intent, he smiled and said, "Since that is the case, courtesy demands I comply! Please come in!"

The moment I stepped inside the room, he suddenly said, "Wait, you need to go back outside!"

I was taken aback: "Huh?"

"Hehe. Take this sign and go outside. Hang it on my door to tell people that I am not receiving guests today, so nobody else wanders in and disturbs our discussion of the scriptures and Dao!" He fished out a wooden placard and handed it to me.

"Alright." I helped him hang the sign, then turned and walked back into the room.

"Does Mr. Liu also dabble in metaphysical divination?" Zhou Yulang initiated the questioning.

"Dabble is hardly the word; I merely have a fondness for it. Unfortunately, I am dull-witted by nature, and though I've read quite a few books, I've never quite grasped the essentials, which is why I've come to seek your guidance." I said.

"Hehe. Mr. Liu is being too modest. What questions do you have? Please ask. If I am able to answer, I will certainly give it my all."

I thought for a moment, then abruptly asked him: "Where is sir from?"

He paused, as my question had nothing to do with divination: "This... hahaha, people of the lakes and rivers consider the four seas their home. Aren't you and I from the exact same place right now?"

"Where from?" I stared at him coldly and asked again.

"My ancestral home is Tianjin."

"Oh, a wonderful place. Then why is there no Tianjin accent when you speak?"

"Sigh, I lost both parents at a tender age and traveled far and wide with my uncle and aunt. My native accent was lost long ago."

Although his reply was completely fluent, I knew he was lying. After all, I had followed Grandfather for so many years; the exact moment he spoke, his right hand had given a sudden pat against his leg. That subconscious action indicated he was thinking—thinking at lightning speed. Yet Grandfather had once taught: "The moment a single irrelevant bodily movement appears, it proves he is fabricating a lie."

"I see. Tianjin is a place that breeds outstanding people and spiritual energy; no wonder it produced a great talent like Master Zhou," I said.

"Overpraised. All my skills were bestowed upon me by my late master. A master and disciple are like father and son; his elder self is my second-chance parent."

Suddenly, I felt that the person sitting before me was no ordinary individual. He responded with a seamless flow of words, brimming with feeling and vivid emotion. This kind of atmosphere had only ever appeared among the "A-Bao" groups of the "River and Lake Syndicate." The sensation was profoundly familiar—so familiar that it made my scalp prickle and my heart tremble. I couldn't quite put a name to the feeling; it was bizarre and terrifying.

"I've heard people say that when blind masters discuss fate, whenever they encounter a restriction, they are bound to predict disaster. Is there really such a saying?" I began my questioning.

Seemingly sensing that I had come to challenge him, he raised his head, utterly fearless: "To predict disaster whenever encountering a restriction—that's what fools do."

I said, "I'm all ears."

He stated, "Fortune-telling ultimately boils down to the laws of the Five Elements. All calculations are exercises in the generation and restriction of the Five Elements. Ordinary fortunetellers all know the basic principles of mutual restriction among the Five Elements: metal restricts wood, wood restricts earth, earth restricts water, water restricts fire, and fire restricts metal. Therefore, the moment they see restricted elements, they declare it a sign of disaster. For instance, if the man is of metal destiny and the woman is of wood destiny, when the two come to inquire about their marital compatibility, the fortune-teller will declare that metal and wood restrict one another, so the marriage will likely be poor—and so on and so forth."

"Isn't that correct?" I countered.

"It's not just incorrect; it is wildly, disastrously wrong! As the ancients put it: when metal is abundant and encounters fire, it forms useful utensils; when wood is abundant and encounters metal, it becomes towering timber; when water is abundant and encounters earth, it forms well-contained pools and marshes; when fire is abundant and encounters water, they achieve harmonious balance; when earth is abundant and encounters wood, it gets properly dredged and cleared. The generation and restriction of the Five Elements rely entirely on equilibrium. If someone ignores prosperity and decline and speaks blindly about generation and restriction, if they aren't a fool, what are they?"

Blind Zhou's words genuinely shook me to my core. These phrases represented the absolute essence of the methods of the Five Elements. Back in the day, when Grandfather manipulated the Five Elements, he had lavished high praise on these exact axioms and explained them to us brothers using vivid, vernacular examples.

This was the dialectic of the Five Elements; it was the very soul of metaphysical divination.

Ordinary people only knew that metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, and earth generates metal; and that metal restricts wood, wood restricts earth, earth restricts water, water restricts fire, and fire restricts metal. These were simply the fundamental principles of Five Elements interaction. Most people stopped their learning right there at the shallows, assuming that any "generation" was inherently good and auspicious, while any "restriction" was inherently bad and ominous.

To understand the Five Elements' generation and restriction in such a light was to stray completely onto a false path. The application of the Five Elements emphasized equilibrium: equilibrium brought harmony, and harmony alone led to perfection.

Metal generates water, but excessive generation becomes restriction—much like a mother's doting love for her son: if she pampers him blindly, it ceases to be love and instead ruins him. Therefore, the ancients taught that while metal generates water, an excess of metal turns the water turbid. The phrase 'metal generates clear water' implies that when the two substances of metal and water exist in equivalent energies, water relies on metal to be generated, and metal relies on water to stay clean. The two complement each other in an endless cycle of generation, creating the beautiful imagery of brilliant metal generating clear, surging rivers. If there is too much metal and too little water—like a pile of scrap copper and iron dumped together—the water beneath the iron pile will grow turbid and foul.

The principle of water generating wood is identical: excessive water causes wood to drift. An appropriate amount of water aids plants in growing sturdy and tall, but if the water volume is excessive and the irrigation unending, trees simply cannot endure it. Their roots get washed out until they are completely uprooted, and the timber floats away in the water, becoming dead wood.

Wood generates fire, but excessive wood chokes the fire. This principle is very easy to verify and understand: when making a fire, you need to add firewood gradually as the flames grow brighter and stronger. If you dump it all on at once, not only will it fail to increase the blaze, but it will cause a lack of oxygen, instantly extinguishing the flames.

Fire generates earth, but excessive fire scorches the earth. Clearing land by burning forests leaves behind charcoal and wood ash from the completely consumed trees, which can transform into fertile soil. However, if the fire never stops and continuously roasts a plot of land, that patch of land will be scorched dry, its soil nutrients completely exhausted, rendering it useless and incapable of growing all things thereafter.

Earth generates metal, but excessive earth buries the metal. When earth is overly heavy and thick, jade and gold are buried beneath it, never to see the light of day.

This was the principle that excessive generation amounts to restriction.

By the same token, the mutual restriction of the Five Elements also adheres to the rule of equilibrium.

Fire restricts metal, but when metal is prosperous and encounters fire, it forms useful utensils. Fire is what restricts metal, but if this restriction is one that maintains equilibrium, it acts as a form of assistance rather than harm; it is beneficial. It is akin to a father's discipline over his son—this paternal education and restraint are designed to strip away the son's wild nature, teaching him to understand propriety, righteousness, integrity, and wisdom, ultimately helping him grow into an upright man. If a father pays no attention to his son whatsoever and lets him run completely wild, it is like a tree left unpruned and unstripped: it will grow wildly in all directions, throwing out eccentric branches. Its tangled twigs and leaves consume far too much energy, leaving the main trunk weak and unable to grow into a towering tree or become a pillar of timber.

Therefore, the ancients uttered those profound maxims: when metal is abundant and encounters fire, it forms useful utensils; when wood is abundant and encounters metal, it becomes towering timber; when water is abundant and encounters earth, it forms pools and marshes; when fire is abundant and encounters water, they achieve harmonious balance; when earth is abundant and encounters wood, it gets properly dredged and cleared.

Consequently, an appropriate "restriction" is a form of generation, while excessive "generation" is actually a form of restriction. This was the dialectic of the Five Elements.

When Grandfather explained these principles to us back then, my companions and I were left completely stunned: How miraculous! How truly miraculous!

Now, facing the blind man, he articulated these dialectical principles of the Five Elements without the slightest hesitation and without a moment's thought. This made me view him with entirely new respect.

I thought of another question and asked him, "I've heard that blind masters possess a set of oral chants capable of predicting life and death with absolute accuracy. Is that true?"

"Hahahaha!" Zhou Yulang threw his head back and laughed loudly. "Does Mr. Liu believe that?"

"I've never seen it, which is why I'm asking Master Zhou for instruction! I sincerely hope you won't hold back your teachings!"

"These are all baseless rumors spread throughout the rivers and lakes! There are a billion people in China today; how many birth characters can there possibly be in total? Every set of birth characters represents over a thousand people. If someone could determine that a specific person will die on a specific day based on a single chant, wouldn't that mean all thousand-odd people sharing those same birth characters would drop dead in unison on that exact day? Anyone with half a brain can figure out that's impossible! Let alone such broad cases, take twins—they don't necessarily die on the same day; their deaths can even differ by many years. Therefore, Mr. Liu need not be superstitious about so-called blind masters' chants. The reason blind masters were able to form their own distinct school is not because of any infallible iron-clad chants, but because their fortune-telling method differs somewhat from what circulates in the marketplace. They make much heavier use of Nayin [harmonic tone classifications] and Shensha [auspicious/inauspicious star spirits]. Furthermore, because blind people cannot see external objects, they are undisturbed by worldly distractions and can calm their minds to accumulate experience. That is what creates the phenomenon where blind masters are generally more accurate at fortune-telling than sighted people. Does this answer satisfy Mr. Liu?"

An expert shows what they're made of the moment they stretch out a hand. This kid has an exceptionally high mastery of the Five Elements, I thought to myself.

"I have been instructed, I have been instructed." I cupped my hands and bowed.

"Polite, polite. Does Mr. Liu have any other questions?"

"None at all, none at all. Master is brilliant, brilliant; I am convinced and won over. For Master to bring blessings to the local people here is truly a great stroke of fortune for them." I prepared to make a hasty retreat.

"So we're concluding for today?" Zhou Yulang could not conceal his triumph.

"Yes, yes. Sorry for the intrusion, sorry for the intrusion." I stood up, eager to leave.

Zhou Yulang also felt his way along the stool, swaying unsteadily as he stood up.

I quickly said, "Please stay your steps, please stay your steps."

"I won't see you out." He smiled and said.

I suddenly tilted my body and, with lightning-fast reflexes, staged a stumbling motion.

Zhou Yulang never expected me to pull this stunt. His body gave a slight shudder, and his hands instinctively reached up to steady himself, though he immediately regained his composure.

In that single action—a movement so subtle it was almost imperceptible—I caught it. I laughed heartily in my heart: You little grandson, you've finally slipped up. Grandpa here used to be someone who pretended to be blind back in the day!

At that moment, I felt a sense of gratitude for having joined the "River and Lake Syndicate" for the very first time. When I first joined, the very first social practice lesson Grandfather arranged for me was pretending to be a blind man to swindle an old lady. For decades, I had harbored lingering resentment over that incident, but today, that grievance suddenly melted away.

In the flash of a single dazed second, I understood, and Zhou Yulang understood as well.

I smiled faintly and said, "Take good care of yourself, Master Zhou."

Hearing the double meaning in my words, he refused to show weakness: "Making a living by true skill; when soldiers come, block them; when water comes, earth covers it."

"Indeed! Farewell!"

"I won't see you out!"

I returned home feeling light and carefree, and called over Fourth Bahtou and Seventh Bahtou.

"Hahahaha." I stood in the middle of the room, laughing nonstop.

My laughter left Fourth Bahtou and Seventh Bahtou completely bewildered: "What's the meaning of this?"

"Zhou Yulang is a fraud!" I announced loudly.

"Tell us." Fourth Bahtou looked at me.

I recounted the entire process of my battle of wits with Zhou Yulang.

After listening, Fourth Bahtou burst out laughing: "Old Seven, did you hear that?"

"I still find it hard to believe," Wang Jiaxian said, scratching his head. "With so many people, and so many infallible predictions—if he's a fraud, wouldn't his cover have blown long ago?"

I said, "You're muddle-headed, Old Seven. Grandfather led us in swindling for all those years—did his cover ever blow?"

Wang Jiaxian nodded: "But what is his motive? He doesn't want money, nor does he chase women; he has never taken a single penny from me."

"Old Seven, I think you've truly gone senile!" Fourth Bahtou grew anxious too. "A quick swindle requires swift strikes; have you forgotten the teachings of our founding ancestors? He's playing a long game to catch a big fish!"

"Then what should we do? Should we expose him?" Wang Jiaxian asked.

"Expose him!" Fourth Bahtou said viciously.

"Don't rush!" I thought for a moment and said, "I keep feeling this matter isn't as simple as it looks. Think about it: ever since the 'Gathering of the Dao' was eradicated in 1952, almost no one has stirred up waves for all these years. This Zhou Yulang suddenly came here from the north, even apprenticing himself to Dragon-Phoenix to deliberately build up his reputation, and now he's got Old Seven hooked. Could there be something going on behind this that we haven't thought of..."

"You mean..." Fourth Bahtou sank into deep contemplation.

"I'm merely worried," I said, gritting my teeth.

Wang Jiaxian also sobered up: "No! I have to go remarry right now! My wife is wonderful; to tell you the truth, during these days away from her, I haven't felt right at all."

"Hold on, hold on. Even if you remarry, Fourth Brother and I will have to go put in a good word for you, otherwise you won't even be able to get through her door," I said.

"Damn it! Damn it! I walked right into a trap, I walked right into a trap! How humiliating, how utterly humiliating!" Wang Jiaxian cursed up a storm.

Fourth Bahtou and I both laughed: "Knowing it's humiliating now isn't too late. If Zhou Yulang had actually matched you up with that older man-younger woman pairing, goodness knows what major disaster would have broken out!"

"Oh, my two good brothers, stop teasing me. Wasn't I just desperate for a son?"

"Right, desperate for a son, but instead of getting a son, you went out and played the grandson!" I joked.

"A real grandson indeed! Grandson Zhou! A blind-acting grandson!" Wang Jiaxian let out another round of curses before asking, "Could he really be targeting the 'River and Lake Syndicate'?"

"I'm just worried about that," I said.

"That's ancient history. So many years have passed; could there still be some unresolved grudge?" Wang Jiaxian said.

Fourth Bahtou blinked: "That's really hard to say. We've offended so many people in the past; who's to say there isn't someone with immense karmic will who has been waiting all this time for a chance to exact revenge on us old fellows."

"What kind of hatred can last this long?" I muttered under my breath.

"The hatred of a murdered father and the resentment of a stolen wife—such things never die until the grave," Fourth Bahtou said.

We all fell silent.