Chapter 22

"Mr. Qin, is there any feng shui theory about this cemetery?"

Upon arriving at the new cemetery, Mo Yongxin asked. The others also looked at Qin Yu, knowing that choosing a cemetery naturally involves feng shui principles, and they all waited for Qin Yu to explain.

"The feng shui of a cemetery emphasizes the beauty of the facing mountain and the emotional connection with the site."

Qin Yu pointed to the mountain opposite and said, "The mountain facing the cemetery is called the 'facing mountain.' If the facing mountain is high, the site is high; if the facing mountain is low, the site is low. If the facing mountain is too high, it may overshadow the site, which should be higher. If the facing mountain is low, it may cause the qi to disperse, so the site should be lower. You can see that the mountain opposite is only as high as the waist of Wudao Peak, so the cemetery should be located at this half-mountain position."

Everyone followed Qin Yu's gesture and saw that the mountain opposite was indeed not high. Qin Yu then pointed to his feet and continued:

"Besides the facing mountain, the feng shui of a cemetery also emphasizes the gathering of qi in the Ming Tang. Look at this terrain; it is flat and stable, with no steep slopes. The slopes on both sides are sloping, perfectly blocking the wind. The principle of locating a cemetery is to be full in the back and empty in the front. This Ming Tang is bright and open, making it a feng shui site."

The Ming Tang can accommodate ten thousand horses, but the water mouth cannot accommodate boats. The Zhuge Nei Jing details the importance of the Ming Tang for a cemetery. In Guo Pu's Book of Burial, it is also mentioned: "Qi disperses with the wind and stops at the boundary of water." This boundary of water is the Ming Tang, which is definitely a place where wind and water gather.

"However, the only problem with this site's feng shui is the water."

Qin Yu's tone changed, and he walked straight to the stream. The stonemason had built a water channel according to Qin Yu's requirements, but the stream had not yet been diverted into it.

"Feng shui involves water. Without a place where water gathers, it cannot be considered a feng shui treasure site. Look at this stream, flowing out from the valley, passing through the Ming Tang, but forming a funnel shape. In feng shui, water symbolizes wealth and good fortune. This funnel shape is a sign of great financial loss."

"If that's the case, why did you choose this site, Master Qin?"

Someone asked, puzzled.

Qin Yu glanced at the person and smiled, explaining, "There are very few pure natural feng shui treasure sites in the world. Over the dynasties, feng shui experts have helped people find these sites, making pure natural feng shui sites extremely rare."

Qin Yu was not exaggerating. During this period, he had examined many great works by feng shui masters and learned some information. Everyone wants a feng shui treasure site, but after so many years, how many pure natural feng shui sites are left? Later feng shui masters mostly modified the feng shui of cemeteries, changing the terrain and adding buildings to meet the characteristics of a treasure site.

This is also one of the reasons why many cemeteries of noble families after the Ming Dynasty had more buildings outside, while ancient cemeteries generally had more mysteries inside.

"Besides the shape of the water, the position of the water mouth is also not good. According to the compass, the water flows from right to left, out through the Bing position, and also through the Hai position. This layout is called 'the thief's head will surely suffer' in feng shui. After burial, the first generation of descendants will be wealthy and noble, the second generation will not produce any notable figures, and the third generation will have many cripples and lunatics, and thereafter, only single generations will continue."

"Is the newly built water channel and corridor used to change the shape and position of the water?"

The people present were not fools. Hearing Qin Yu explain the harm of the water but still choosing this site, and seeing the newly built water channel, they all understood.

"Exactly, this water channel is indeed used to change the shape and position of the water. The water flowing from right to left and out through the Bing position is good water, but it only violates the Hai position. If it is guided to the Zi position, it will be a good water vein."

Qin Yu explained this to everyone, but there were other things to do. The grave had already been dug, and while Qin Yu was explaining, someone had set up a table with offerings and some tools.

Like the act of breaking ground and digging the grave, Qin Yu paid respects to the mountain gods in the four directions and asked an elder to place the soul-guiding rod in the center, symbolizing the return of the ancestors' souls.

He lit the deed of the yin house, indicating that this cemetery now had an owner, and other wandering spirits should not approach. He then recited the Sutra for the Dead, and the Haos' descendants bowed devoutly. The next step was to lower the coffin.

Before lowering the coffin, Qin Yu lit three yellow papers and threw them into the grave, called warming the grave. After warming the grave, he sprinkled the blood-soaked red hemp bag and the five-colored grains into the grave. After doing this, he nodded to the others.

Eight young men carrying the coffin received the signal, tied one hand with a five-colored rope, and lifted the coffin with the other hand, placing it steadily in the grave. Qin Yu stood in the grave, took out a dragon-seeking compass, and occasionally moved the coffin to orient it. This step required no deviation.

Orienting the coffin means determining the direction of the head of the coffin. This is the most important step in lowering the coffin. The coffin must face a prosperous direction. There are thirty-six directions in the heaven and earth, and a wrong direction can greatly affect future generations.

After adjusting for several minutes, Qin Yu finally determined that the coffin faced a prosperous direction. He came out of the grave and took out two talismans from his pocket. These talismans were drawn by Qin Yu the day before, from the Talisman Chapter of the Zhuge Nei Jing, called the Tomb Talisman.

He placed the two talismans at the head and tail of the coffin, clasped his hands, and began to chant. At first, his voice was like a fine thread, gradually growing louder, and finally, it sounded like a bell, echoing through the mountains.

"The Heavenly Gate is open, the Earthly Gate is closed, the golden rooster is crowing, the jade rabbit is biting, the living souls have scattered, the dead souls have settled, the deceased has gone to the West, the dead souls have returned to the tomb, meeting the King in the East and the Queen in the West, stabilizing the central earth of Wu and Ji!"

Qin Yu's voice echoed through the mountains, and the soul-guiding banner moved without wind. The incense on the table, one meter and eighty centimeters high, sent its smoke toward the tomb. Everyone saw the smoke envelop the entire grave, and the birds in the forest seemed to see something terrifying and flew away. At that moment, except for Qin Yu's chanting, there was complete silence.

"Radiant and bright, the sun rises in the East. I am now entrusted by the Hao family to establish the tomb. The golden snake returns to its den, the jade rat returns to its warehouse, evil spirits and ghosts, if you do not leave, let the owner take his place."

Qin Yu opened his eyes wide and stared into the depths of the forest in the west. As he spoke, the trees in the west rustled, and a mournful wind howled, filled with sorrow.

"This tomb is for the Hao family. You are just wandering spirits and evil entities, how can you receive offerings and settle in this auspicious site?"

The mournful wind in the west grew stronger, as if responding to Qin Yu.

"Is this really a ghost?"

Mo Yongxing's face turned pale. Not only him, but everyone present felt their hair stand on end. The scene was too eerie, and with the meaning of Qin Yu's words, everyone looked toward the forest in the west, feeling as if something terrifying was hidden there, watching the tomb.

The mournful wind in the west continued for a while and finally dissipated, as if something had left. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, as the scene had truly frightened them.

Qin Yu also sighed inwardly. His back was drenched in sweat. According to the Zhuge Nei Jing, establishing a tomb in the mountains easily attracts certain entities, especially in better feng shui sites. It was indeed effective, and fortunately, he had prepared the tomb talismans. Otherwise, if these entities had taken over, all his efforts would have been in vain.

Thinking about this, he felt a bit relieved. He had not yet modified the shape and position of the water, so it was not a good feng shui site. Otherwise, it might have attracted even more powerful entities, which he might not have been able to handle.

Next was the sealing and burial, which the Hao family would do. Qin Yu came to the Mo siblings and noticed that Mo Yongxing was looking at him strangely, with a mix of fear and apprehension.

"Qin Yu, were there really ghosts in the west, and were you talking to them?"

"Ghosts? I can't really say what they are, but I prefer to call them a different kind of qi from humans."

"Qi?" Mo Yongxing was puzzled.

"In the language of feng shui, everything in the world is generated by qi. The qi fields of different species are different, and even within the same species, there are differences. For humans, fundamentally, our qi fields are the same, but individually, they differ. From a dialectical perspective, it is the unity of universality and particularity."

"By ghosts, I mean a special form of qi. A person's qi field does not necessarily dissipate after death. Due to certain reasons, it may mutate and form a new qi field. Since we do not understand this qi field, we call it a ghost."

"Since it's a qi field, why can't we trace it?" Mo Yongxin, deep in thought, continued to ask.

"It's not that it can't be traced. Throughout history, there have been many ghost stories, and in rural areas, there is a belief that newborn babies can see ghosts, which suggests that the qi field of ghosts is similar to that of newborns, and in some aspects, ghosts are even more fragile than babies."

Qin Yu spoke confidently. These were not from the Zhuge Nei Jing but his own understanding. After obtaining the Zhuge Nei Jing, he had studied the concept of ghosts and researched many online materials, eventually reaching this conclusion.

"If ghosts are a special qi field, how did Mr. Qin communicate with them?" Mo Yongxin's eyes were bright, determined to get to the bottom of it.

"We know that qi fields are formed by the same frequency of qi, like radio waves. Different radio waves have different frequencies, but through special methods, we can temporarily adjust the frequency of radio waves to be the same or to communicate with the other party."

"Can the frequency of a qi field be changed?" Mo Yongxing was surprised, his mouth slightly open in disbelief.

Qin Yu glanced at him and smiled, saying, "Of course it can be changed. When a feng shui master examines a site, they are actually changing the qi field to form a beneficial qi field for the living or the dead. This qi field can be passed on to the descendants, which we call the protection of ancestors