Chapter 2

The lightning and thunder outside the Taoist temple cast the light inside the temple into a flickering dance of brightness and darkness.

Not far from Ye Tian's head, a palm-sized fragment of a dark clay sculpture, which had been lifeless, suddenly emitted a faint glow after being stained with Ye Tian's blood.

If there had been someone in the temple at that moment, they would have noticed that the glowing object was not made of clay, but was a dark turtle shell, densely engraved with intricate patterns, somewhat resembling a feng shui compass.

However, unlike a common compass, this turtle shell did not have an inner disk; instead, it was replaced by a Taiji Yin-Yang symbol. The outer part corresponded to the eight trigrams of "Qian, Kun, Zhen, Gen, Li, Kan, Dui, and Xun," giving it an exceptionally ancient and mysterious appearance.

Originally, the turtle shell was dull and colorless, but after being stained with Ye Tian's blood, it seemed to come to life. The blood seeped into the shell, and one by one, mysterious patterns appeared.

Suddenly, a thunderclap echoed outside, and the light inside the temple suddenly brightened. Above the turtle shell, a faint Taiji symbol appeared, transforming into a wisp of green smoke that entered Ye Tian's forehead. The turtle shell on the ground then vanished with the sound of the thunder.

A bolt of lightning split the dark sky, winding down like a snake or a dragon. By the light of the lightning, one could see Ye Tian's small body trembling on the ground.

...

Summer storms come and go quickly. As the rain and thunder ceased, the temple returned to its usual tranquility, with only the clear sound of water droplets falling from the eaves.

The next morning, after the rain, the mountains and forests were fresh and green, the air fragrant with the scent of grass and trees, and a light mist enveloped the deep valleys and dense forests, making the trees shimmer like crystal.

A figure moved through the forest, undeterred by the muddy and slippery path. Soon, it arrived at the temple gate.

This was a medium-built Taoist, whose tattered robe matched the dilapidated temple. His topknot was disheveled from the journey, and his face was slightly flushed but free of wrinkles.

Judging by his appearance and complexion, the Taoist looked to be in his forties or fifties, but his deep, sea-like eyes revealed a sense of沧桑 (cāngsāng, meaning "vicissitudes of life"), making him not to be underestimated.

"Boundless is the Heavenly Venerable, thank goodness the patriarch's legacy hasn't been destroyed..."

Looking at the dilapidated temple, the old Taoist made a gesture of respect with one hand. However, when he saw the situation in the main hall through the drafty doors and windows, he couldn't help but exclaim in distress and hurriedly walked in.

"Patriarch, I calculated a few days ago that you would face a calamity. I will definitely restore your golden body soon..."

Seeing the empty altar, the old Taoist pretended to calculate with his right hand, but he didn't notice the small body lying in the mud on the ground.

"Master, did you not calculate that I would also face a calamity?"

Ye Tian, who had just regained consciousness, felt a surge of anger upon hearing the old Taoist's words. This old man, who often boasted of being the 50th generation descendant of the Ma Yi lineage, seemed to have never made accurate predictions.

"Master... Master, my head was broken by the patriarch..."

Just waking up, Ye Tian felt a dull ache in his head. When he touched it, he found his hands covered in blood. Despite his intelligence, he was only a child of ten, and he let out a cry of alarm.

"Oh no, my precious disciple, what happened to you?"

Seeing Ye Tian covered in blood, the old Taoist was shocked. He quickly picked up Ye Tian and examined him, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

He fetched some well water, cleaned Ye Tian's wound, and then searched through his greasy robe for a box. Using his little finger, he took out a bit of black ointment and applied it to Ye Tian's forehead, saying, "It's just a superficial wound. You lost a lot of blood, but you'll be fine after a few days of rest..."

Feeling a cool sensation on his forehead, Ye Tian became more alert. He looked at the old Taoist with a stern expression and said, "Old man, did you ask me to come here on holiday to help you face a calamity?"

While there are techniques in the occult that can alter fate and avoid misfortune, the heavens have already determined the outcome. To change the course of events, one must have a scapegoat, or a "substitute ghost."

Although young, Ye Tian was well-versed in the "Ma Yi Physiognomy" and the "Occult Treasury." Given the mysterious disaster he had just faced, he naturally suspected that his unscrupulous master had planned it.

"There's no such thing. You were born on the second day of the second month in the Year of the Dragon. I can't calculate your destiny at all..."

Hearing Ye Tian's words, the old Taoist protested. He had taken Ye Tian as a disciple partly because he found the solitude of the mountains unbearable and partly because Ye Tian's unique destiny intrigued him. Despite living with Ye Tian for five or six years, he had never been able to determine Ye Tian's destiny.

Ye Tian didn't dwell on this, but he was curious about the old Taoist's whereabouts the previous day. "Then why did you go down the mountain?"

"Disciple, look, our temple is in disrepair. I went down to seek some benevolence and ask for help to renovate it..."

Speaking of this, the old Taoist looked indignant. "Why should the state be responsible for the renovation of the main peak of Maoshan, while we are left to fend for ourselves?"

Last year, the state allocated 30 million yuan to extensively repair the Nine Heavens Palace and the Yuanfu Palace on the main peak of Maoshan. At the time, the old Taoist had hoped to benefit from this and asked the construction team to help repair the Ma Yi Temple, but he was driven away by the Taoists on the main peak, leaving him with a grudge.

Ye Tian touched the blood clot on his head and said irritably, "Master, that's religious culture, while you're considered feudal superstition. They're not the same."

"Feudal superstition, my foot! The origins of physiognomy can be traced back to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. The techniques derived from it include astronomy, calendar, mathematics, destiny, feng shui, talismans, auspicious selection, miscellaneous divination, and bedroom arts. This is natural science..."

Hearing Ye Tian's words, the old Taoist jumped up in anger. After the turmoil of the past decade, life had just started to improve, and he was planning to revive the Ma Yi lineage. He hadn't expected his disciple to call it feudal superstition.

"Alright, Master, it's not feudal superstition. But can you get me some water? I'm very thirsty..."

Ye Tian waved his hand weakly. He didn't have the energy to argue with the old man. Looking at the pool of blood on the ground, he felt a chill. If the entire clay sculpture had fallen on him, he might not have survived.

"A tiny wound, and you're acting like a sissy. Back in the day, I wandered in the mountains with hundreds of Japanese soldiers and had several bullet wounds..."

The old Taoist was displeased with Ye Tian's attitude. Since taking him as a disciple, he had made Ye Tian, who was only a few years old at the time, do all the chores in exchange for teaching him martial arts.

However, despite his grumbling, the old Taoist fetched water from the well in the courtyard, boiled it, and brought it to Ye Tian, who couldn't drink cold water due to his injuries.

"Kid, lie down and rest. I'll go get you something to eat..."

Seeing Ye Tian's listless and pitiful state, the old Taoist carried him to the bed in the inner room. After such a heavy rain, the bedding was unusable, and even the bamboo bed was soaked with rainwater.

"I'm over a hundred years old, and I still have to take care of a little brat. What a loss to have a disciple like you..."

Fortunately, it was summer, so there was no risk of catching a cold. After settling Ye Tian, the old Taoist went down the mountain again, still grumbling.

After more than an hour, the old Taoist returned to the temple with a fish and a hen. Seeing that Ye Tian was sleeping soundly, he didn't wake him and started preparing the meal.

"Master, what are you cooking? It smells so good?"

The strong aroma had woken Ye Tian, who, despite losing a lot of blood the previous day, had recovered his energy after a few hours of sleep.

"Wow, an old hen and fish soup. Master, you're so kind to me..."

When he lifted the lid of the pot, Ye Tian exclaimed. In the five or six years he had known the old Taoist, this was the first time he had received such treatment.

"Seeing you injured, I went down the mountain to buy a fish for you..."

Hearing Ye Tian's words, the old Taoist's face turned red. The fish was indeed bought, but the hen was caught from a stack of firewood on the way up the mountain.

It wasn't that the old Taoist was unwilling to buy it; he was just short of money, and in the countryside, no one would sell a hen that laid eggs.

As the saying goes, "Old people become wise." The old Taoist knew many things. Despite the lack of seasonings, he added a few herbs from the mountains, making the chicken soup fragrant.

After drinking the chicken soup, Ye Tian's pale face regained some color. His eyes darted around, and he looked at the old Taoist, asking, "Master, did you get any donations? If this temple isn't repaired soon, I'm afraid you won't even have a coffin..."

"Brat, can't you speak properly?"

The old Taoist's face turned green at Ye Tian's words. He wanted to scold him but held back because of Ye Tian's injuries. He sternly said, "Recite the eye section of the 'Ma Yi Physiognomy.' I'll see if you've been slacking off."

"Okay, eyes should be as clear as the sun and moon, the phoenix eyes and dragon eyes must be clear. The worst are yellow and red veins, which bring a lifetime of misfortune and failure..."

Seeing the old Taoist's stern face, Ye Tian obediently recited the passage, glancing at the old Taoist's eyes. In his mind, he wondered why the old man didn't have yellow and red veins.

"Hmm? What... What is this?"

As Ye Tian looked at the old Taoist, he suddenly felt a dizzy spell. It lasted only a few seconds, but when he recovered, he realized that something had changed in his mind.