A Prophet - Chapter 3 (Part 2)

Chapter 2 - The First Double-Sided Trap in the History of Fortune-Telling

The Zhang and Li families were both prominent clans in the nearby town, and the two households had been bitter enemies, supposedly fighting across three generations. Recently, the conflict had escalated because Zhang Ergou, the head of the Zhang family, discovered something while moving his grandfather's gravesite during the Qingming Festival: a "head-pressing stone." A so-called "head-pressing stone" is a rock placed precisely over the "wealth head" position of a coffin, which corresponds to the spot directly above the deceased's head at the top of the coffin. Ancient people placed immense importance on the placement of a coffin and whether any objects were resting above it. If, during a family burial, someone maliciously tampered with the grave by placing a "head-pressing stone" over the "wealth head," that family would be finished, cursed with unbroken misfortune for three consecutive generations until the stone was discovered and dug out. To plant a "head-pressing stone" for a coffin required multiple people to cooperate. It had to wait until after the grave-rounding ceremony, when the neighborhood laborers would swing their shovels to bury large amounts of earth. Therefore, to pull it off successfully, several laborers had to be bribed so that, when no one was looking, they could toss a granite slab onto the "wealth head" and quickly bury it over, sealing the deal.

The moment Zhang Ergou discovered this "head-pressing stone," he started cursing a blue streak, convinced that the Li family was behind it. His reasoning was that his father had once plotted against the Li family. His father had previously bribed a mason and employed a "Lu Ban School" technique, hoping to ruin the Li family completely, though it was ultimately seen through. How had such deep animosity arisen between the two families? It was a long story. Zhang Ergou's grandfather had been a imperial provincial graduate during the late Qing Dynasty, surnamed Zhang, with the given name He and the courtesy name Zhongjin. Before earning his degree, Zhang Zhongjin and Li Wencai, the young master of the Li family, had been the closest of friends. They had played together since childhood and shared a deep bond—until they fell in love with the same young woman. That woman was the eldest daughter of the Zhao family, well-versed in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Both the Zhang and Li families sent matchmakers to propose marriage, and both brought along the prospective bride and groom's birth dates and hours. Checking horoscope compatibility was an essential preliminary step for marriage in ancient times; if the horoscopes did not match, no matter how deeply the couple loved each other, the match generally could not go forward. By a curious coincidence, the horoscopes of both Zhang Zhongjin and Li Wencai matched the young lady's, leaving the Zhao family struggling to make a choice. Consequently, Zhang Zhongjin and Li Wencai began competing in secret. Their daily interactions dwindled, and when they crossed paths, they would merely exchange hollow, insincere bows. Right at that critical juncture, the provincial imperial examinations commenced. Both men took the test simultaneously, and the result was that Zhang Zhongjin passed as a provincial graduate while Li Wencai failed. Originally evenly matched, the gap between them instantly widened. In the end, Zhang Zhongjin successfully married Miss Zhao, leaving Li Wencai to heave a sigh of resignation and drop the matter. However, the grudge had officially taken root. From then on, the two treated each other as total strangers, dispensing even with basic civility. Li Wencai had a fondness for destiny and numerology, frequently chatting with fortune-tellers in his spare time. Following this incident, he went so far as to invite a Daoist priest to his home to see if there was any method to break the marriage or exact revenge. Little did he know that the person he invited was a fake Daoist priest whose true identity was an A-bao operative of the "River and Lake Sect."

The priest said, "Ah, the woman has already been married off! What is there left to break?" Li Wencai replied, "Even so, I refuse to let him live in peace!" The priest retorted, "I won't do such things!" Li Wencai slammed a silver ingot right onto the table and snapped, "As long as you can shatter this match, name your price!" The priest sighed, "Dear me! It is better to tear down ten temples than break a single marriage! It seems I am headed straight for hell once again!" This remark clearly amounted to acceptance; silver apparently possessed far more destructive killing power than hell itself. The priest asked Li Wencai to produce Miss Zhao's birth date. Because the families had previously exchanged horoscopes, Li Wencai had the young lady's birth details on hand. Spreading out the birth characters and taking a look, the priest chuckled, "Young Master need not worry. These birth characters show a mixing of official and killing stars, a combination that easily leads to a wandering eye. As long as this poor Daoist applies a tiny bit of sorcery, I guarantee she will come straight to your arms! Provided you don't mind taking in damaged goods, she's yours!" "Damaged goods" was a fortune-telling term meaning a young woman was no longer a virgin. In ancient times, if a man married a woman who was considered "damaged goods," it was treated as an immense humiliation. In that society governed by the three cardinal guides and five constant virtues, men demanded absolute chastity from women while never reflecting on their own dissolute behavior.

Li Wencai let out a sly smile. "I'll take the damaged goods, but I won't keep her as a wife!" The priest was momentarily stunned, thinking to himself, Is this even human? Thereupon, the priest began playing "flying paper" tricks. He crafted two paper dolls, dressed them in tiny clothes cut from red paper, and wrote the respective names on their backs: Zhang Zhongjin and Zhao Yue'e. The priest then used sorghum stalks to construct a miniature multi-story pavilion, placing one paper doll inside the pavilion and the other outside, separated in the middle by an apricot branch. Next, he crafted a third paper doll bearing Li Wencai's name, posing this doll so that it stepped upon the apricot branch and beckoned to "Zhao Yue'e" inside the pavilion. Seeing everything the priest had conjured up, Li Wencai couldn't help laughing. "Master, can this kind of thing actually work? Why does it feel so ridiculous?" Seeing that the trap was about to be set, the priest immediately turned solemn and said, "This is only a part of it! The key lies in the incantation. I will teach you the incantation; you must stand before the pavilion every day at the hour of zi (midnight) and recite it silently. Within forty-nine days, I guarantee Zhao Yue'e will deliver herself right to your doorstep!"

Li Wencai hurriedly bowed low, listening closely as the priest laid out the incantation and engraving it deeply in his memory. Once everything was settled, the priest finished dinner and prepared to leave. Li Wencai said, "Thank you, Master! If this matter succeeds, Wencai will surely reward you handsomely!" Hearing those words, the priest nearly dropped dead on the spot from sheer fury! After the matter succeeds? This brat is too crafty! Not even a single coin of advance payment? He's trying to get a free ride! Besides, how could there ever be a time when it 'succeeds'? It's just a 'flying paper' scam to begin with! Swallowing his rising anger with a supreme effort, the priest forced a smile and said, "You and I, Young Master, are friends across generations; why speak of such worldly matters! This poor Daoist only hopes that once Young Master obtains Miss Zhao, you will treat her kindly!" Li Wencai smiled. "Master is truly overflowing with compassion!" The priest slunk away in defeat. But A-bao swindlers were never people to be trifled with; swallowing this silent loss was out of the question. Barely two days later, the priest went straight to the Zhang family. With tears streaming down his face, he claimed that the Li family had relentlessly coerced him into performing sorcery, causing his conscience to suffer deep torment and robbing him of sleep at night. Therefore, he had come to confess and beg for forgiveness. Zhang Zhongjin and his young bride listened in stunned silence, asking, "Is this true?" The priest replied, "Go to their eastern side room; that pavilion and the little straw dolls are right in there. If he lets you enter, it means I am talking nonsense; if he refuses to let you in, it means something is amiss."

Thinking it over, Zhang Zhongjin agreed it made sense, but given how hostile his relations with Li Wencai currently were, simply walking in was out of the question. Sensing Zhang Zhongjin's hesitation, the priest advised him, "This poor Daoist has a plan." Zhang Zhongjin asked, "What plan?" The priest answered, "Turn their own strategy against them!" The next day, Zhang Zhongjin penned a letter and had a household servant deliver it to Li Wencai. Reading it, Li Wencai saw that it was an invitation to drink. The letter roughly stated: "My heart has been quite unsettled lately, younger brother. I originally thought that marrying the Zhao family's daughter would bring domestic bliss, but alas, this woman is absent-minded day in and day out, ignoring proper ethics and constantly pondering bizarre arts..." Li Wencai was ecstatic; it seemed the master's sorcery was already taking effect. Eager to probe for real details, he accepted the invitation. The two men found a tavern and ordered a few small dishes. After a few cups of wine, tears began to stream down Zhang Zhongjin's face. "My dear brother! My heart is in agony! Thinking back to our younger days when we composed poetry together—how kindred our souls were, how joyful we were! Just because of a lowly woman, we've become complete strangers. Was it worth it?" Li Wencai's stomach was bursting with glee, and he had to bite down hard on his tongue just to force out two tears from the pain. "Ah, younger brother, say no more! Even after crossing through tribulations, brothers remain; with a single meeting and a smile, all past grudges are wiped away! Though we are brothers, and though I too harbored feelings for Miss Zhao, since you won her hand first... to tell the truth, I felt terrible at first, but later I realized that as long as my younger brother is happy, how could your elder brother be anything less?" Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhongjin slumped over the table, burying his face in his sleeves and sobbing loudly. In reality, he was secretly smearing the spilled liquor from the table into his eyes, because otherwise he simply couldn't squeeze out any more tears. The two drank together for a full hour until Zhang Zhongjin said drunkenly, "My good brother! Ever since I started my own family, I haven't come over to play at your house once! I miss the days when you and I were together! Remember how we used to drink facing the twilight, chant the Classic of Poetry by night, and when we grew tired, share the same bed under the same heavy quilt? How wonderful those days were!" Li Wencai exclaimed, "Younger brother! Let's go! Tonight you're coming to my place! We'll drink under the moonlight just like old times and sleep off our wine!" With that, the two of them staggered unsteadily toward the Li residence. Upon entering the gate, they gave the Li family servant a fright; seeing both fellows with flushed little faces, the servant had no idea that their minds were actually razor-sharp. Once inside the main gate, Zhang Zhongjin wove unsteadily and made a beeline straight for the eastern side room. "Respected Mother, Zhang He has come to pay his respects!" Li Wencai grabbed him by the arm. "Younger brother, you've got it wrong, wrong! Mother's quarters are in the main building!"

Pretending to be utterly confused, Zhang Zhongjin pointed at the eastern side room and insisted, "Isn't this the main building right here?" With that, he made a lunge for it. Li Wencai hurried forward a few steps and grabbed him in a death grip. "Younger brother, you're drunk! You're completely drunk!" Zhang Zhongjin laughed. "I'm not drunk! I'm going to pay my respects to Mother! Come, let's go together!" As he spoke, he tugged at Li Wencai, on the verge of shoving the door open. Li Wencai shot a vicious glare at the servant, as if signaling, Are you a bleeding idiot? Are you just going to stand there watching? The servant rushed over in a panic, and together with Li Wencai, they physically hoisted Zhang Zhongjin toward the main building. By this time, Li Wencai's mother and father had also heard the commotion and hurried out from the inner rooms, smiling as they called out, "Ah, Zhongjin has arrived! Come inside quickly, come right in!" Zhang Zhongjin let out a head-revolving laugh, a sound so eerie it made everyone in the room's skin crawl. Then, wrapping an arm around Li Wencai, he brought his mouth close to Li Wencai's ear and whispered conspiratorially, "I won't be lasting long with Miss Zhao. If my dear brother doesn't mind, I'm willing to cede her to you."

The muscles on Li Wencai's face twitched violently. "Younger brother, you've had too much to drink." Zhang Zhongjin smiled. "Not at all. I'm going straight home to write a letter of divorce. Just wait for me." With that, he shook off Li Wencai and strode right out the door. Li Wencai stood there in a daze, completely baffled. Back at his own home, Zhang Zhongjin found the priest waiting for him. The priest asked, "How did it go?" Zhang Zhongjin gave a wave of his hand and pulled a stash of silver out from his sleeve. "Master, I beg you to cast your sorcery once more! If I don't ruin his family and drive him to ruin, I swear I am no true man!" Zhao Yue'e walked out from the inner room and said, "There's no need for all this. Live your own life in peace—harmony brings wealth. We're better off not believing in such things!" Zhang Zhongjin insisted, "No!" Glancing at the silver on the table, the priest figured he should settle the price first this time, rather than ending up like last time when he just put on a show and walked away empty-handed. Looking composed, he said, "Young Master Zhang flatters this poor Daoist too much! As a man of religion, compassion is my guiding principle! It was solely due to my conscience tormenting me that I revealed this to you, but now you want me to turn around and strike back—how can my conscience rest easy?" Zhang Zhongjin replied, "Fighting evil with evil is not doing evil! Can Master simply watch an evil person commit misdeeds and ignore it?" The priest hesitated. "This..." Zhang Zhongjin went back inside, retrieved several more ingots of silver, and shoved the whole lot right in front of the master. "Please, Master, unleash your sorcery!" Seeing that this was the real deal and not some hollow game, the priest resumed his "flying paper" routine, drawing talismans, chanting incantations, and making a grand fuss with the feng shui setup for quite a while. Finally, he pocketed the silver and slipped away. The next day at dusk, the priest paid a quiet visit to the Li family. In truth, Li Wencai had been looking for him anyway. The priest asked, "Did it take effect?" Li Wencai smiled. "Master's Daoist arts are truly profound; within just a few days, it's already working. Can Master push it even further?" The priest narrowed his eyes. "Ah, it costs years of my life!" Seeing right through it, Li Wencai immediately pressed several silver ingots into the priest's hands, whereupon the priest put on a grand performance of struggling through the ritual. Slipping out of the Li residence, the old Daoist felt he had successfully conned both sides about as much as possible, so he quietly vanished and was never heard from again. Yet both Zhang Zhongjin and Li Wencai remained convinced that genuine magic had been at work, assuming the master had retired from the world because he was unwilling to interfere further in mortal affairs. As it later turned out, Zhang Zhongjin and Zhao Yue'e maintained a wonderful relationship all their lives, while Li Wencai never figured out what went wrong, waiting years without ever seeing Zhao Yue'e stray. Sometime later, while drinking with a group of friends and growing thoroughly intoxicated, Zhang Zhongjin suffered a slip of the tongue and blurted out the entire old story. Words spoken without intent are often heard with meaning, however; sitting right there at the table was someone close to Li Wencai, who promptly leaked the scandal. That was when the penny finally dropped for Li Wencai: No wonder the spell failed! From that day on, the two families began writing letters to each other filled with mutual abuse and curses. The hatred between the houses grew even deeper, carrying the unmistakable momentum of a blood feud where neither side would rest until the other was destroyed. Later on, down to the generation of Zhang Ergou's father, because Ergou's father joined anti-government uprisings, when Yuan Shikai cracked down on anti-government revolutionaries, the Li family was the very first to step forward as informers. They had Ergou's father arrested and sentenced to death with a stay of execution. The Zhang family spent their entire fortune just to find a scapegoat and smuggle him out of prison. From then on, Ergou's father fled to Xinjiang, changing his name and living in hiding.

Even though Ergou's father was far away in Xinjiang, he never forgot his desire for revenge, secretly keeping in touch with Ergou and vowing to exact vengeance the moment an opportunity arose! Sure enough, in the twenty-second year of the Republic, when the Li family was rebuilding their house, Ergou's father hired a master of the "Lu Ban School" to craft flowing wooden horses and bribed a mason with the intent of playing a malicious trick on the Li family. As it turned out, the mason had a guilty conscience; while fumbling to place the miniature wooden carriage inside a brick cavity, he panicked and was caught in the act! The Li family hunted him down, beating him all the way from the roof to the ground until his leg snapped. Only after he was tied up and threatened with being handed over to the authorities did the mason confess the whole truth. Realizing their plot had leaked, the Zhang family prepared for a desperate fight to the death, and a bloody battle seemed on the verge of erupting. Yet, in the end, absolutely nothing happened. The Li family displayed an eerie, unexpected calm. Several years passed this way until Ergou's grandfather reached the age of eighty-two and passed away peacefully of old age. On the day of the funeral, the head of the Li family—none other than Li Wencai's son, Li Qiming—unexpectedly came over to the Zhang residence to offer condolences. Stepping before Old Master Zhang's altar, Li Qiming broke down in tears and poured his heart out: "Old Master Zhang, ever since your generation and my late father's, our two families have fought for three generations. For decades, both of our households exhausted every scheme and unleashed every poisonous plot, fighting until both sides suffered mutual destruction and ruined families. What was the point of it all? They say grievances should be resolved rather than perpetuated, and now that you have ridden the crane to the western paradise, may your spirit in heaven allow our two families to bring this hatred to an end! Qiming kowtows to you! May your spirit in heaven bless our descendants so they may live together in harmony and never fight again!" With that, he kowtowed heavily against the floor, making loud echoing thuds. Those words brought tears to the eyes of everyone present; after fighting for so many years, perhaps today truly marked the end of it.

Even Ergou was deeply moved, inviting Li Qiming inside where the two men exchanged further heartfelt sighs. During the funeral procession, Li Qiming and his descendants knelt right alongside the family, helping out with all the manual labor. Later on, when Ergou was moving his ancestors' graves and discovered the "head-pressing stone," recalling every single scene from his grandfather's funeral, he finally realized that the Li family had been running a scam the entire time. It was simply a cat crying over a dead mouse, shedding crocodile tears: first using sincerity to lower your guard, then creating a chaotic commotion to distract your attention, slipping in the "head-pressing stone" when nobody was watching! Determined to seek revenge, Ergou was introduced through an informant to the Second Boss. He recounted the three generations of feuding and sorcery between his family and the Li family. Upon hearing it, the Second Boss burst out laughing; this very incident was recorded in the Cases of the River and Lake Masters. He had even discussed it with Grandfather, full of admiration for the double-sided trap executed by that "Daoist" predecessor. The fellow in front of him, Zhang Ergou, had superstitious beliefs deeply rooted in his bones, making him far too easy to fleece. The Second Boss immediately reported the matter to Grandfather. After listening to the whole account, Grandfather gave the Second Boss only a single instruction: make it a double-sided trap as well. Having served Grandfather for so long, the Second Boss understood him better than anyone. Grandfather was a perfectionist; whenever he set up a trap, it had to be brilliant and flawless for him to be satisfied, and he intended to enshrine his own exploits in the annals of River and Lake history.