Chapter 142: Geomancy

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After everything that had happened, I understood one thing clearly: influence was certainly valuable, but one’s own strength mattered just as much. Compared with Big Brother and Fatty, I was still far too weak. If only I had not been knocked down by Liu Pojun today, everything would have been perfect. If I had possessed Big Brother’s abilities, perhaps Fatty would never have needed to call that cousin of mine, whose name I still did not know.

But a foot of ice does not form in a single day. I knew there were things that could not be rushed. I even felt an impulse to drag Fatty over and light the heavenly lamp on my left shoulder. Every clue now seemed to suggest that if I lit that extinguished lamp, I would no longer be so ordinary.

Yet I did not dare. Fatty certainly did not dare either.

The truth was that I had been living inside a scheme my father and grandfather had set in motion before I was born. With their wisdom and ability, when I would light the soul lamp and when I would reveal the extraordinary qualities they believed I possessed—all of it had already been incorporated into their plans.

And that plan involved far more than the ghostly arts. It touched upon every kind of interest and entanglement. Even Fatty, bold enough to defy the heavens, could only proceed step by step, never daring to cross the line by so much as an inch.

Han Xue’s aunt and the child called Kaikai were looking at me rather strangely. To be honest, I had no intention of seeking them out just to mock them again. Han Xue’s aunt had not gone too far, and as for the boy’s arrogance—he was still only a child. Besides, sometimes saying nothing at all was the sharpest slap in the face.

Just then, Han Xue’s uncle led Kaikai over to me. With an awkward smile, he said, “You’re Yezi, right? I’m Han Xue’s uncle. This boy has been spoiled by me in everyday life. Thank you for what you did today—it was as good as disciplining him on my behalf. From now on, you’ll be cousins by marriage. If you have time, you should help me teach him a lesson now and then. Come here and apologize to your brother.”

“Dad!” Kaikai said, his face and neck flushed red.

He was only a child. I could already see the remorse on his face, but at his age, pride mattered too much. He simply could not bring himself to say the words.

“It’s all right. We’re family. I only hope today’s unpleasantness won’t affect how we get along in the future,” I said.

Han Xue’s uncle froze for a moment. Perhaps he had always assumed that young men with powerful connections were all arrogant and overbearing, so he had not expected me to be so easygoing. Then he smiled and extended his hand.

“Whatever else may be said, with a heart like yours, Xue’er certainly didn’t choose the wrong man.”

After Han Xue’s various aunts and uncles had all taken their leave, her mother seemed fairly composed. Her father, however, could barely conceal his delight once everyone else had gone. He beckoned to me.

“Come upstairs with me. There are a few things you’re going to explain honestly.”

Upstairs was Han Xue’s father’s office. It was decorated with considerable taste. Whether anyone actually read them or not, the bookcases on either side were packed with books. Once we entered, we sat down on the sofa, and Han Xue’s father tossed a cigarette to Fatty and me.

“Tell me. What’s the story with Fudigou?”

Fatty and I exchanged a glance. Neither of us had expected Han Xue’s father to be curious about the matter as well. Could he have some hidden agenda of his own?

Too many things had happened lately. Once my imagination began running, I could not stop it. I even wondered whether Han Xue’s approach to me after she had gone to teach in the countryside had been part of some elaborate scheme.

I shook my head, forcing those absurd thoughts aside.

“Uncle, you’re curious about this too?”

“Judging by the way you two are looking at me, I suppose it’s inconvenient to talk about. Forget it. I already knew you wouldn’t tell me, so I won’t ask.” Han Xue’s father was quite tactful.

“That’s not what I meant. Uncle, how did you hear about Fudigou?” I asked.

“What a foolish question. Do you really think the twelve ghost caves along the Sanlitun stretch of the Luoshui River in Fudigou are some great secret? I’m a local official, after all. How could I not know about a place in my jurisdiction where ordinary people are forbidden to enter? If it were an ordinary place, it would have been leveled long ago. But someone higher up gave instructions, so everyone turned a blind eye and pretended not to know.

“For instance, when those important people from Beijing came a few days ago, I was the one who issued the martial-law order. Do you think I could be unaware that there was a secret inside? I originally wanted to go and take a look myself, but I was afraid of bringing trouble down on my head. Strictly speaking, this wasn’t something I should ask about. But now that you’re my prospective son-in-law, I have to take responsibility for my precious daughter, don’t I?”

Han Xue’s father smiled. In the privacy of his office, he seemed far more relaxed, and he spoke much more freely.

“What else do you know?” Fatty asked, looking at him.

“I don’t know anything about you, but I had this fellow investigated from head to toe long ago. Don’t assume I’m some naive country bumpkin. I have only one daughter. Do you really think I would let some young man into my home without finding out anything about him?

“I still don’t know exactly where this fellow comes from, but he managed not to lose face in front of those people from Beijing. That makes him barely worthy of my daughter.”

Han Xue’s father held the cigarette between his lips. His words were blunt, but they sounded unusually pleasant to me. Speaking to me in such a manner meant that he truly regarded me as one of his own.

“So today’s dinner was deliberately arranged by you, wasn’t it?” Fatty said. “First, you wanted to intimidate your relatives and remind them who was in charge. Second, you knew that the fellow called Liu Pojun would come looking for trouble, so you intended to use Yezi to set a trap for Liu Pojun’s father. Killing two birds with one stone!”

I wanted to tug at Fatty and tell him to stop talking so much. This was my future father-in-law, after all. Could he really say whatever came into his head?

Unexpectedly, Han Xue’s father was perfectly candid. He nodded, then pointed at Fatty with a smile.

“You’re a clever little fatty. But it wasn’t two birds with one stone. I also wanted to see what this fellow was made of. So it was three birds with one stone.”

“Were you satisfied with the result?” Fatty asked with a grin.

Han Xue’s father nodded.

“Good enough.”

After we had said everything that needed saying, the room suddenly fell silent. Fatty and I sat there blankly until Han Xue’s father began tapping the sofa with one finger. Narrowing his eyes, he looked at Fatty.

“I hear you’re an expert.”

Fatty slapped his thigh and pointed at him.

“See? The fox’s tail is finally showing! From the moment I stepped into this study, I knew you’d eventually bring this up.”

“What makes you say that?” Han Xue’s father asked.

“Your office looks ordinary at first glance, but there are mysteries hidden everywhere. The placement of the bookshelves and the entrance, the position of the sofa and coffee table—even that pot of cactus on the windowsill all have their purpose.

“Most importantly, the ornamental rock behind you and the fish tank beside you are the finishing touches to the minor feng shui arrangement in this room.

“I took a stroll around this municipal compound earlier, just to pass the time, and I discovered something interesting. You officials claim to be materialists, but in your hearts you’re more superstitious than anyone.

“The feng shui of this compound is quite well arranged. On the surface, its entire pattern is centered on the road running through the grounds. The man surnamed Liu is the Party secretary, isn’t he? The small building occupied by the top official appears to be the dragon’s head, the finest position in the compound’s overall design. That is what an ordinary second-rate feng shui master would see.

“But in truth, your building only appears slightly weaker than his. The reason is that the large tree in front of the compound entrance does not grow straight—it leans by the slightest measure. And the two stone lions have also been shifted secretly by a few inches. As a result, the central axis of the entire arrangement has deviated just enough to change the true focal point.

“The building that occupies the feng shui eye isn’t the Liu family’s. It’s yours.

“If I’m not mistaken, you were the one who deliberately moved the stone lions. Grand feng shui outside the building, minor feng shui within it—that shows how deeply you believe in this stuff. And since you believe in it, you must want Fatty here to give you some guidance. After all, an opportunity like this is rare.

“Am I right?”

Fatty’s words left me utterly bewildered. I understood almost none of it, but it sounded impressive enough.

The moment Fatty finished speaking, Han Xue’s father sprang to his feet and gave him a thumbs-up.

“Not a single detail is wrong. I hired three masters and spent an entire year creating this feng shui arrangement, yet you saw through it in such a short time. Impressive!”

Fatty rolled his eyes.

“Can the people you hired really compare with Fatty? I’ll tell you the truth: those three weren’t much of anything. The feng shui in this room is arranged properly enough, but they overlooked one crucial point.

“Following the central feng shui axis into your building, the ground appears flat, but it’s actually a slope descending ever so slightly. Ordinary people would never notice it. That little trick was built into the construction itself, specifically to make the mayor’s building several centimeters lower than the secretary’s.

“So even though you pushed the feng shui arrangement to perfection, you’ve remained stagnant all these years, because you’re always walking downhill. Fortunately, the slope is so subtle that you haven’t suffered a disaster already.”

By then, Han Xue’s father wore an expression of utter astonishment.

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