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Living Funeral
I glanced at Feng Li, speechless, as I didn't even know what I was afraid of.
Feng Li said, "Are you afraid of death?"
This statement drew my attention back. I replied to Feng Li, "There are some things you don't understand."
Feng Li insisted, "I understand."
I looked at Feng Li, who appeared both human and ghostly, unsure of what to say for a moment.
Thoughts began to take shape in my mind. I was born during a night of torrential rain, my cries drowned out by the downpour. I was a difficult birth, and my mother died as a result. I attended a funeral just after being born...
Images flickered before my eyes but were quickly interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Young Master, the fortune teller has arrived. The Master wants you to come over."
At that moment, I had changed into a fresh set of clothes and washed my face. I stepped out of the room with Feng Li following closely behind. Suddenly, the question Feng Li had asked me resurfaced in my mind: What was I afraid of?
What was I afraid of? I pondered this but couldn't come up with an answer.
I entered the parlor and saw a man in his forties or fifties wearing a long blue robe sitting there. However, upon seeing his face, I could only describe his appearance with one word: ugly. He was exceedingly unattractive!
My father called me over and said, "This is Mr. Li."
I heard the name "Mr. Li" and suddenly froze, then said, "Are you called Li Guang?"
My father replied, "Fei Er, do not address the gentleman by his given name."
Li Guang. I never expected to see Li Guang again. This guy had been hiding away, and I hadn't even seen his face—not even in my dreams. My father's response seemed to indirectly confirm what I had said.
Li Guang spoke up, "Do you know me?"
I replied to Li Guang, "No."
But Li Guang said, "It seems I should know you instead."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Li Guang explained, "I am a fortune teller. A fortune teller should know everyone and be aware of all the changes in their lives."
His words were quite arrogant! To claim to know everyone's fate is a bold statement for a fortune teller. I said, given how chaotic things are outside and how many people have died, do you really think you can still predict accurately?
Li Guang stroked his beard and said, "You know, there are two types of fate in fortune telling: one is called 'common fate,' and the other is 'unique fate.' Common fate means that most people's destinies are similar—smooth sailing with little change throughout their lives. Unique fate refers to individuals like the current Zeng Gong; such people experience significant ups and downs and have many variables in their lives. Therefore, I don't bother predicting common fates; I find it beneath me. I only predict unique fates."
"Then have you predicted my fate?" I asked.
Li Guang replied, "I don't need to predict your fate."
I said, "So my life is tied to the lives of many."
"On the contrary, you're quite strange. I wouldn't dare to calculate your fate, but I can certainly read the fate of that girl beside you."
Before I could respond, the fortune teller continued, "Her fate is weak; she won't live for long."
Damn it, Li Guang spoke bluntly, revealing this in front of Feng Li. Her expression changed slightly, and I asked Li Guang, "What makes you so sure?"
Li Guang replied, "It's all about the calculations."
That sounded quite reasonable! Fortune-telling relies on calculations; if he gets it right, he's skilled, and if he gets it wrong, he simply miscalculated. However, I had witnessed this guy's fortune-telling skills before, so I believed him.
I called over a maid and instructed her to take Feng Li outside. She looked at me, and I said to her, "Wait for me outside. After I'm done here, I'll come find you."
The maid took Feng Li's hand and led her out.
I sat across from Li Guang and asked, "So how can we save her?"
Li Guang replied, "True Dragon Qi."
Upon hearing this, my father's expression changed. He asked, "Did you see that Fei Er possesses True Dragon Qi?"
Li Guang confirmed, "Yes, I did. That's why I wouldn't dare to calculate her fate."
The father hurriedly said, "Please keep this a secret, sir."
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. There's no way to spread it outside!" Li Guang replied.
The father thanked him.
"You Chen Family have also encountered difficulties recently. If you want to avoid this trouble, listen to me: dismiss all your servants and go hide in the countryside for a while," Li Guang advised.
The father asked, "Where do you suggest we go?"
"I will take you there when the time comes," Li Guang assured them.
I looked at Li Guang and couldn't shake the feeling that he was just a smooth talker who enjoyed nonsense. However, his predictions turned out to be quite accurate, and he even gifted me True Dragon Qi. He was no ordinary person; someone who could calculate even the Dragon King’s fate was definitely not mundane.
I remembered that Li Guang once mentioned a dead person's fate that he dared not calculate. Now, in front of him, I should have asked about it, but I wasn't sure if that person had come back or if they had crossed paths with Li Guang.
Taking a deep breath, I finally decided to ask.
"Li Guang," I said, "you mentioned you couldn't calculate my fate earlier. Is there another person's fate you also dare not touch?"
As soon as I finished speaking, Li Guang's expression changed. "Chen Fei, I once tried to calculate your master's fate, but I couldn't determine it. Your master might be able to save you; his fate is quite peculiar."
Li Guang didn't directly answer my question but shifted the topic to Jiang Changsheng instead. I confronted him, "Are you afraid to even say his name?"
Li Guang was taken aback and then said, "How did you know all this? I really wouldn't dare to mention his name."
I was speechless.
This old fellow was indeed cunning; he simply admitted his fear, which left him a way out of what I had just said.
"Mr. Chen, your son truly possesses a gift, almost as if he has the ability to foresee the future. If he hadn't been an apprentice, I would have considered taking him on as my disciple."
I replied, "Mr. Li, have you ever calculated your own fortune?"
Li Guang said, "Ah, in our line of work, we can read fortunes for anyone, but we must never read our own. Besides, knowing one's fate isn't particularly meaningful."
I asked, "Are you really not going to answer my question?"
Li Guang shook his head and said, "Not necessarily. I will be staying at your home for the next few days. If we get along well, I might let something slip."
At that moment, my father said, "Fei Er, don't make things difficult for the gentleman. He will be staying with us to help arrange a route for avoiding disaster. You can take this opportunity to ask him some questions."
My father then stood up and said, "Sir, let me show you to your accommodation." After he spoke, the two of them left the room. I lingered in the living room for a while. After Li Guang exited, I also stepped out of the living room to find Feng Li waiting for me outside.
Upon seeing me, she said, "So your name is Chen Fei!"
"Not much."
The day passed quickly, and by evening, someone suddenly came to my door. I stepped outside and saw Jiang Changsheng standing at the entrance, accompanied by two others—Hu Qingming and a chubby man.
Upon seeing the three of them, I greeted, "You're here!"
Jiang Changsheng called me "senior brother," and I responded, welcoming him inside. He quickly introduced his companions, saying, "This is Hu Qingming, and this is Xiao Tongwen."
Xiao Tongwen grinned and reached out his hand for a handshake, saying, "This is how foreigners greet each other."
I shook hands with Xiao Tongwen while Hu Qingming gave me a slight bow. Just earlier, Li Guang had mentioned that my junior brother could save me; now it seemed that Cao Cao had indeed arrived. I led them into a side room where we all sat down.
I instructed a servant to pour tea for them. However, before I could finish speaking, Xiao Tongwen interjected, "What tea? It's more practical to have something to eat. There's a famine outside, and people are dying everywhere. You wealthy families should provide some food; you and Old Hu are no different."
At this point, Hu Qingming glanced at Xiao Tongwen, who chuckled and moved on from the topic.
Since that was the case, I instructed the servants to bring out food directly. Jiang Changsheng then said, "Many people have died outside; some are collecting wandering souls and ghosts."
Hu Qingming added, "I think this person has ulterior motives. If all the wandering souls and ghosts are collected, it could lead to trouble."
Xiao Tongwen agreed, "Yes! There will be trouble." After that, he asked, "Where's the food? Why hasn't it arrived yet?"
I: ...
I said, "I'll be there in a moment."
I glanced at Jiang Changsheng. At this moment, there was still a hint of youthfulness in his brow, but it was overshadowed by a touch of worry.
Jiang Changsheng said, "Moreover, if the Ghost Path is different, you might be in danger, Senior Brother. If we lose contact with the Ghost Messenger, something will definitely go wrong."
My mind raced as I connected Jiang Changsheng's words with my memories. I pondered the key term "Ghost Messenger." Did I have any connection with the Ghost Messenger? Ever since my father brought me into this world, the Ghost Messenger had come to claim my soul. How could I possibly have a connection with the Ghost Messenger now?
I was momentarily confused. After a pause, I asked, "What do you want me to do?"
Jiang Changsheng replied, "I would like to ask you to write a volume of the Book of Ten Thousand Ghosts."
I was taken aback. The Book of Ten Thousand Ghosts—was that something I had written? No, it was a secret scroll left behind by my master, wasn't it? When I later met Hu Qingming, it seemed he didn't know who had written it either. However, this Book of Ten Thousand Ghosts seemed to be something I had defined myself.
Suddenly, I felt completely bewildered.
The Book of Ten Thousand Ghosts. Jiang Changsheng continued, "Only you can write this because only you understand the ghost script and can communicate with the Ghost Messenger."
Hearing this, I suddenly felt as if I understood something about the Book of Ten Thousand Ghosts and the Yin-Yang Ghost Path.
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