Chapter 5

At noon, the scorching sun hung high in the sky, the time of day when yang energy was at its peak. Yet this place felt eerily cold, as if it were haunted by a malevolent force.

Ye Tian, a small boy with a Daoist cap, tried to speak like an adult, but his efforts only made him seem odd.

However, his words were logical and well-reasoned, and the old Daoist beside him nodded in agreement, a look of surprise in his eyes. It seemed he hadn't taught him these things.

Children often like to show off, and although Ye Tian was much more intelligent than his peers, he felt a competitive spirit when he noticed Lao Miao's slightly disdainful attitude.

After speaking, Ye Tian pointed to the spot where he had seen the mist and said, "There, it's right there..."

"Here?"

Lao Miao followed Ye Tian's finger and saw that it was where the family and mourners were staying. His sister-in-law had been sitting there with the baby for several days.

Lao Miao hadn't paid much attention until Ye Tian mentioned it. He took a few steps closer and indeed felt a chill, making his scalp tingle.

"Hmm? Not bad, you noticed too?"

The old Daoist nodded in approval and turned to Lao Miao, saying, "Mr. Miao, since your brother passed away, the child has been crying non-stop, and he's easily startled at night, right?"

The old Daoist's words hit the mark, and Lao Miao's face showed surprise. He grabbed the old Daoist and said, "Master Li, you're right. Our family only has this one child left. Please save him..."

The old Daoist smiled and stroked his beard, saying, "The child has been frightened, and one of his seven souls and three spirits has been scared away. The excessive yin energy here is making it worse, but it's not a serious issue..."

"Great Immortal, please, save my child!"

Hearing the old Daoist's words, the boy's mother couldn't hold back any longer. She was about to kneel with the baby, but the old Daoist held her back.

"No, no, I'll do my best..."

The old Daoist glanced at the crying baby, then picked him up and said to the mother, "Go around the house and call the child's name..."

"Call the name?" The mother was puzzled, not understanding what the great immortal meant.

"Hey, hey, sister-in-law, quickly, do as the master says, go call the name..." Hearing the old Daoist's words, Lao Miao pushed his sister-in-law.

In the countryside, there was a practice of calling back the soul, also known as "calling the shock" or "calling the soul." Lao Miao knew about it, so he trusted the old Daoist completely.

"Good child, don't cry anymore, come back, soul..."

Hearing the woman's voice, the old Daoist held the child with his left hand and pretended to grab something in the air with his right hand, then gently stroked the child's chest and back.

"Oh, don't cry, don't cry..."

It seemed as if the child's soul had really been brought back, as the baby, who had been crying non-stop, suddenly stopped and opened his tear-filled eyes, looking curiously at the old Daoist.

This immediate effect shocked and delighted Lao Miao. His second brother was gone, and this was the only bloodline left in the Miao family.

"Master, oh, no, Great Immortal, please come inside, come inside..."

If he had any doubts about the old and young Daoists before, now Lao Miao truly saw the old Daoist as a living immortal.

"Rubbish, more like an old fraud..."

Ye Tian, who was following the old Daoist, almost burst out laughing. What about being frightened and losing a soul? It was all nonsense.

The child's pale complexion, listlessness, and cold limbs were all signs of yin symptoms in traditional Chinese medicine, mainly due to staying in a place with excessive yin energy for too long.

As the saying goes, "yin alone cannot create life, and yang alone cannot sustain it." Not to mention a child, even a weak adult would fall ill if they stayed in a cold place for too long, and it had nothing to do with the soul.

As for why the child suddenly stopped crying, it was certainly the old Daoist's doing.

Ye Tian knew that the old man, besides his expertise in feng shui, was also deeply knowledgeable in traditional Chinese medicine. With a lifetime of practicing the Ma Yi lineage's qi guidance techniques, he could easily help a child regulate their breathing.

However, while Ye Tian didn't find this impressive, to Lao Miao, it was like a divine act. After inviting them into the main room, he hurriedly served them tea, more attentive than he had ever been to his own father.

After serving the tea, Lao Miao said, "Great Immortal, since my brother and I started the transportation business, our lives have improved. But recently, we've been plagued by misfortune. Please show us the way..."

This time, his second brother's car accident not only claimed a life but also severely damaged the car. There was no insurance, and the Miao family had to bear all the losses.

Although they had made some money in the past two years, after paying for car repairs and compensating the cargo owner, Lao Miao was struggling financially. The old Daoist's words were like a beacon of hope.

"Mr. Miao, don't worry, I'll check the feng shui of your house..."

The old Daoist reached into his wide sleeves and pulled out an object, holding it with both hands as he walked around the room.

"A compass?"

Seeing the object in the old Daoist's hand, Ye Tian's eyes lit up. The turtle shell that had appeared in his mind twice today was very similar to this.

"Could it be... the mysterious thing in my mind is a compass?"

Ye Tian had a moment of clarity, but no matter how hard he tried to visualize the turtle shell, his mind remained empty.

Seeing his master walk out with the compass, Ye Tian followed without hesitation.

Stopping behind the small building, the old Daoist pointed to two ponds about seven or eight meters away and asked, "Mr. Miao, were these ponds dug recently?"

Although this was the largest town near Maoshan, it was still in the countryside, surrounded by farmland. The two ponds were not particularly noticeable.

"Yes, yes, I went to the south to deliver goods once, and the aquaculture there was very developed, so I dug these two ponds a month ago..."

Lao Miao nodded, then asked with a puzzled look, "Great Immortal, could it be that these ponds are the cause of the misfortune?"

"Yes, Mr. Miao, to be frank, your house has a very good feng shui layout, with a beautiful mountain in front. However, these two ponds cause the people in the house to cry, and the orphans and widows to weep. Not only will the adults and children fall ill, but other misfortunes may also occur."

The old Daoist wasn't deliberately scaring Lao Miao. Feng shui and the earth's energy are related to yin and yang. The two ponds behind the house would cause yin energy to accumulate, leading to mental and physical problems over time.

The car accident involving Lao Miao's second brother might not be related to the ponds, but filling them in would certainly benefit the people living there.

"Then... can we just fill in the ponds?"

Hearing the old Daoist's words, Lao Miao realized the problem and regretted his decision, as it seemed to have cost his brother's life.

"Yes, Mr. Miao, have someone fill in the ponds, and the feng shui will naturally be restored."

The old Daoist nodded and bowed, saying, "Mr. Miao, the feng shui issue is resolved. My disciple and I have matters to attend to at the temple, so we must take our leave..."

"Master..."

Hearing the old Daoist's words, Ye Tian couldn't help but tug at the old Daoist's sleeve. They had come from far away, and they hadn't even had lunch. Why were they leaving? Was the master also a model of selflessness?

Before Ye Tian could speak, Lao Miao objected, grabbing the old Daoist and saying, "Master, how can you leave? You saved my nephew's life. If I let you go, people will talk..."

Although the old Daoist said the feng shui issue was resolved, Lao Miao was still uneasy. Besides, the yin energy in the house was still a concern. What if the child fell ill again after the old Daoist left?

"High, indeed, very high..."

Seeing this, Ye Tian secretly pulled back his hand. No wonder his master made him memorize the "Art of War" and the "Thirty-Six Stratagems." The old man was a master of the "let them come to you" strategy.

"Mr. Miao, I really have matters to attend to..." The old Daoist looked troubled.

"Master, if you have matters to attend to, just tell me, and I'll help you," Lao Miao said, like a drowning man clutching a lifeline, refusing to let go.

"Mr. Miao..."

The old Daoist hesitated and said, "To be honest, the temple on the mountain is in disrepair, and last night's heavy rain damaged the ancestral shrine. I need to find a construction team to repair it, or I'll feel guilty towards my ancestors..."

"Master Li, that's the issue? I know the construction teams in town. How about this, you stay here for a day, and I'll take the construction team to repair the temple tomorrow morning?"

Hearing the old Daoist's words, Lao Miao immediately offered to help. Compared to his family's well-being, spending some money to repair the temple was a small matter.

"Alright, I'll stay an extra day to resolve the yin energy in your house..."

Seeing Lao Miao's enthusiastic invitation, the old Daoist naturally agreed and returned to the house with Ye Tian.

******

PS: Cough, cough, the number of recommendations is still a bit low. Please support more. Can we reach 3,000 today? Thank you all!