Shui Miao thought to himself, this Huo Yuanliang was truly incorrigible. As a grown man and the pillar of the family, he should have been responsible, yet he was obsessed with gambling instead of attending to proper work. Even if Shui Miao helped him now, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t return to his old ways.
It was rare indeed to find his wife so virtuous and his daughter so considerate.
This kind of person could be helped, but there had to be a way to ensure he completely abandoned gambling.
After thinking for a moment, Shui Miao turned to Huo Yuanliang and asked, “Uncle, if you’re not afraid of death, why are you afraid of living?”
“…”
At Shui Miao’s words, Huo Yuanliang was momentarily stunned and didn’t know how to respond.
Shui Miao smiled slightly and whispered to Huo, “Uncle, do you want to know why you always lose? I can tell you, but first, you have to answer me: why can’t you quit gambling? Judging from your appearance, you should be a man of good fortune. Is it because you’re especially fond of gambling, or is there some unavoidable reason that drives you to it?”
Shui Miao wanted to understand Huo Yuanliang’s mindset.
Huo Yuanliang held his head in both hands. “I never used to like gambling. But three years ago, when my wife moved here to run a business, I suddenly changed. I started thinking about gambling all day long, like an itch I couldn’t scratch. I even suspect I might have been bewitched!”
“Oh… is that so?”
Shui Miao’s thoughts stirred, and he immediately understood where Huo Yuanliang’s problem lay. Changing the subject, he said, “By the way, uncle, I’ve been looking everywhere but can’t find any gambling places. Can you take me there? If I win some money, I’ll give half to you.”
Shui Miao thought to himself, “This Huo Yuanliang is really hopeless. A grown man, the pillar of his family, yet he neglects his duties and spends all day thinking about gambling. Even if I help him, there’s no guarantee he won’t relapse into his old ways!”
It was also rare to find a wife as virtuous as his and a daughter so sensible.
For such a person, helping him was possible, but a way had to be found to make him quit gambling for good.
After some contemplation, Shui Miao asked Huo Yuanliang, “Uncle, if you’re not even afraid of death, why are you afraid of living?”
“…”
Huo Yuanliang was momentarily stunned by Shui Miao’s words, unsure how to respond.
Shui Miao smiled slightly and whispered to Huo Yuanliang, “Uncle, do you want to know why you always lose? I can tell you, but first, answer me: why can’t you quit gambling? Judging by your appearance, you seem like a fortunate person. Do you gamble because you really love it, or is there some unavoidable reason that drives you to it?”
Shui Miao wanted to understand Huo Yuanliang’s psychology.
Huo Yuanliang held his head in his hands. “I didn’t used to like gambling, but three years ago, when my wife moved here to do business, I suddenly changed. I started thinking about gambling all the time, feeling an itch in my heart. I really wonder if I’ve been cursed or something!”
“Oh… I see!”
A thought crossed Shui Miao’s mind, and he understood where Huo Yuanliang’s problem likely lay. He changed the subject. “By the way, Uncle, I’ve been looking around but haven’t found any gambling spots. Can you take me to one? If I win money, I’ll split it half with you. How does that sound?”
“You want to gamble? No, no… I can’t let you ruin yourself. Gambling is addictive. The character for ‘gambling’ (赌) has ‘贝’ (shell, meaning money) on one side, and ‘贝’ sounds like ‘背’ (misfortune). The other part, ‘者’, represents people. So, the character implies that those who gamble are destined for misfortune. Anyone who gets involved in gambling is bound to have bad luck!” Huo Yuanliang advised Shui Miao with well-reasoned arguments.
“Uncle, you seem quite knowledgeable! How come you still gamble despite knowing all this?” Shui Miao laughed. “But don’t worry, I’m a cultivator. I understand the natural way and the way of luck. When I gamble, it’s completely different from when you gamble.”
“Cu-cultivator…?”
Huo Yuanliang was taken aback and suddenly noticed that this young man seemed to have an unusual aura.
Shui Miao glanced at the sky. It was almost noon, and he was feeling hungry. He urged, “Uncle, take me there quickly. If we win money, you have to treat me to a meal at your place.”
“Then… how much money are you planning to gamble with?”
Huo Yuanliang was still a bit uneasy.
Shui Miao patted his pocket, and the sound of coins jingled. “Not much. Thirty yuan is enough.”
“Thirty yuan!”
Huo Yuanliang was dumbfounded. He had brought three thousand yuan and still lost it all. What could thirty yuan possibly accomplish?
“Hey! Stop wasting time. Let’s go! Don’t you want to earn your daughter’s tuition?”
Shui Miao pulled Huo Yuanliang along.
Huo Yuanliang pointed to a mansion on the other side of the river. “The gambling spot is over there. We need to take a boat.”
Shui Miao turned and saw a lush, green mountain on the opposite bank. The river curved sharply, its flow calm but giving the impression that once you crossed, you might not return. The mansion seemed to exude an eerie, mysterious aura.
“Uncle, do you know the history of that mansion?”
After a brief glance, Shui Miao followed Huo Yuanliang to the ferry dock.
Huo Yuanliang, finding Shui Miao’s question fitting for his identity as a cultivator, answered without much hesitation. “When I was a child, I heard that a group of river bandits lived there. They specifically targeted officials, never robbed ordinary people, and often sold fish to the locals. Ten years ago, I heard it was purchased by an outsider named Zhou, who turned it into a gambling den. Wealthy people from big cities frequently come here to play. No one ever investigates, and the business has always thrived.”
“I see!”
Shui Miao licked his lips and asked no further questions, instead carefully observing the mountain and river formations.
Behind a small restaurant, there was a boat specifically used to ferry people to the gambling den. Shui Miao followed Huo Yuanliang onto the boat and crossed to the other side. After disembarking, Shui Miao noticed that the mansion was exceptionally elaborate. In front of it stood no fewer than fifty or sixty stone lions of various sizes. The smallest were only knee-high, while the two largest towered over three meters tall, appearing awe-inspiring. All the lions’ heads were positioned to face the river in a fan-like arrangement. Upon closer inspection, Shui Miao was surprised to find that the stone lions varied in color and material, representing the five elements of Yin and Yang—each with its own unique attributes!
He had encountered a formidable opponent!
A chill ran down Shui Miao’s spine, and he halted.
Lions are the kings of beasts, superior even to tigers. With so many stone lions roaring with gaping mouths, they seemed poised to devour all wealth. Regardless of a person’s fate based on Yin-Yang and the five elements, everyone would be equally doomed here!
“Little brother, why did you stop?” Huo Yuanliang assumed Shui Miao had never seen so many stone lions.
Shui Miao asked, “Uncle, has everyone who comes here to play always lost? Has anyone ever won?”
“Pretty much. Why?” Huo Yuanliang, knowing nothing about feng shui, couldn’t discern the underlying mechanisms.
Shui Miao glanced around and suddenly said, “Uncle, do me a favor. Go blow on those yellowish-brown lions—each one of them. Spit on them if you have to. For the large yellowish-brown ones, pee on them. If you want to win money, don’t ask why. Just do it now.”
After saying this, Shui Miao walked toward the stone lion closest to the river. He reached out and touched its teeth, applying force until his finger was pricked and began to bleed. He then used his blood to smear the lion’s eyes. He repeated this for every stone lion on the right side leading up to the main entrance, covering their eyes with his blood.
Then, he looked over at Huo Yuanliang, who was urinating on a large stone lion nearby.
“Good thing no one saw, or we’d be in trouble,” Shui Miao muttered, licking his lips. He glanced back at the river’s flow and then at the sky. It didn’t look like rain, but with so many stone lions around, to be safe, he decided to also smear the eyes of the large lions on the left side.
Shui Miao quickly climbed onto a large stone lion and had just finished smearing its eyes when a woman dressed in black leather pants and a red short jacket, looking very fashionable and beautiful, stepped out. She called out to him, “Hey, kid, stop fooling around! Be careful not to fall!”
Shui Miao hurried down and walked over to Huo Yuanliang, whispering, “Uncle, your final task is to find a way to make that woman take off her red clothes. In short, just make sure she isn’t wearing red.”
Huo Yuanliang was taken aback and quickly grabbed Shui Miao.
He was an honest man and couldn’t think of any way to make the pretty doorman take off her clothes. This was too difficult!
Shui Miao glared at Huo Yuanliang, then suddenly had an idea. “Vomit on her! Get her clothes dirty!”
Without waiting for Huo Yuanliang’s response, Shui Miao entered the building.
The young woman knew Huo Yuanliang. As she walked inside, cracking melon seeds, she asked him, “Old Huo, who’s that kid? Doesn’t look like one of yours.”
“He… he’s my wife’s nephew from the city. Rich, but bored. I told him there are gambling machines here, so he insisted on coming,” Huo Yuanliang fabricated.
Pleased to see Huo Yuanliang bringing someone to play, the young woman smiled and handed him a handful of melon seeds.
Huo Yuanliang had a sudden idea. After cracking a few seeds, he stuck his fingers into his mouth, pretending something was stuck in his throat. With his other hand, he grabbed the young woman’s clothes. Seeing his distress, she quickly turned to fetch water for him. The moment she turned back, Huo Yuanliang let out a loud “vomit,” splattering not only her clothes but also deep into her chest. The young woman cried out in disgust, stomping her feet in frustration before pushing Huo Yuanliang away and running off to change.
Huo Yuanliang quickly rinsed his mouth and went to find Shui Miao.
From afar, the mansion looked like an ordinary large house, but once inside, Shui Miao realized it was a different world altogether!
The gambling machines inside were the large, sophisticated types found only in casinos.
However, the gambling machine room had also been tampered with by a feng shui master. Standing in the center of the room and looking around, Shui Miao noticed that the layout formed a “Tiger’s Mouth” trap!
“Uncle, you seem to be a learned man! Knowing so much, why do you still gamble?” Shui Miao laughed. “But don’t worry. I’m a Daoist practitioner, and I understand the Dao of nature and fortune. My gambling is completely different from yours.”
“D… Daoist…?”
Huo Yuanliang was taken aback and suddenly noticed that this young man indeed had a certain spiritual aura.
Shui Miao glanced at the sky—it was nearly noon, and his stomach was starting to grumble. He urged, “Uncle, hurry up and take me there. Once we win some money, you have to treat me to lunch at your house.”
“Then, how much money are we taking?”
Huo Yuanliang was still a bit uneasy.
Shui Miao patted his pocket, and the sound of coins clinked, “Not much, thirty yuan will be enough.”
“Thirty yuan!”
Huo Yuanliang was stunned. He had brought three thousand yuan and still lost every time. Thirty yuan wouldn’t even make a dent!
“Oh come on! No more talking. Let’s go. Don’t you want to earn tuition for your daughter!?”
Shui Miao grabbed Huo Yuanliang and started walking.
Huo Yuanliang pointed to a mansion across the river. “That’s where the gambling house is. We’ll take a boat over.”
Shui Miao turned his head and saw a lush, verdant mountain across the river. The river bent sharply, its waters flowing gently but with an ominous sense—as if once you crossed, there would be no return. Vaguely, the mansion exuded a deep, mysterious aura.
“Uncle, do you know the history of this mansion?”
Shui Miao took a couple of glances before following Huo Yuanliang toward the ferry dock.
Hearing Shui Miao’s question, Huo Yuanliang, thinking it was just natural for a Daoist practitioner to be curious, didn’t suspect anything and replied directly, “When I was a child, I heard that a band of river bandits lived there. They fought against officials but never robbed the common people, often selling them fish. Ten years ago, a man surnamed Zhou from outside bought the place and turned it into a gambling house. Rich people from big cities often come to play here, and no one ever investigates. The business has always been good.”
“Is that so!”
Shui Miao licked his lips and asked no more, carefully observing the mountain and the river.
Behind the small restaurant was a dedicated boat that ferried people to the gambling house. Shui Miao followed Huo Yuanliang onto the boat and crossed to the other side. Upon landing, Shui Miao noticed that the mansion was extremely elaborate. In front of the house stood no fewer than fifty or sixty stone lions, varying in size. The smallest was knee-high, while the two largest were over three meters tall, creating a very impressive sight. All the lions faced the river in a fan shape. Shui Miao observed closely and was surprised to find that the lions were made of different materials and colors, representing the five elements of yin and yang!
He had encountered a real expert!
A chill ran through Shui Miao’s heart, and he stopped in his tracks.
Lions are the kings of beasts, surpassing even tigers. With so many stone lions gaping wide, they were devouring all sources of wealth. With yin and yang and the five elements, no matter what one’s destiny was, they would all be consumed!
“Little brother, why did you stop walking?” Huo Yuanliang thought Shui Miao had never seen so many stone lions before.
But Shui Miao asked, “Uncle, are all the people who come here always losers? Has anyone ever won?”
“Mo… more or less. Why?” Huo Yuanliang, unfamiliar with feng shui, naturally couldn’t see the trickery.
Shui Miao looked around and suddenly said, “Uncle, help me out. Go and blow on those earth-yellow lions. Each one. If you can’t blow, spit on them. For the big ones, just urinate on them. If you want to win money, don’t ask why. Do it now.”
After saying that, Shui Miao walked toward the nearest stone lion near the riverbank. He reached out and touched the lion’s teeth. With a little pressure, his finger was pierced and started bleeding. Then, he smeared his own blood on the lion’s eyes. He continued all the way to the main entrance, covering the eyes of all the lions along the right-hand row.
Then, Shui Miao looked at Huo Yuanliang, who was urinating on a large stone lion nearby.
“Thank goodness no one saw us, or we’d be in trouble.” Shui Miao licked his lips, then looked back at the river and the sky. It probably wouldn’t rain, but there were too many stone lions here. For safety, he should also smear blood on the eyes of the big lions on the left.
Shui Miao quickly climbed onto a large stone lion. Just as he finished smearing blood on its eyes, a woman dressed fashionably in black leather pants and a red short jacket walked out. She called out to Shui Miao, “Hey kid, don’t play around. Be careful not to fall!”
Shui Miao quickly climbed down and walked to Huo Yuanliang’s side. He whispered, “Uncle, your last task is to find a way to get this woman to take off her red clothes. Just make sure she doesn’t wear red.”
Huo Yuanliang was stunned. He was an honest man and couldn’t think of any way to make the pretty girl at the gate take off her clothes. This was just too difficult.
Shui Miao gave Huo Yuanliang a sharp look, suddenly got an idea, and said, “Pretend to vomit—make her dirty!”
Without waiting for Huo Yuanliang to respond, Shui Miao walked straight into the house.
The girl recognized Huo Yuanliang and, while cracking sunflower seeds inside, asked him as he entered, “Old Huo, who’s this kid? Doesn’t look like your child!”
“He’s my nephew from my big sister’s family. He’s from the city, rich, and had nothing better to do. I told him there were gambling machines here, so he insisted on coming,” Huo Yuanliang made up on the spot.
Seeing that Huo Yuanliang had brought someone to play, the girl was happy and smiled as she handed him a handful of sunflower seeds.
Huo Yuanliang suddenly had an idea. After eating two seeds, he suddenly put his hand in his mouth, pretending a seed was stuck in his throat. With the other hand, he grabbed the girl’s clothes. Seeing Huo Yuanliang choking, the girl hurriedly turned to get him some water. Just as she turned back, Huo Yuanliang “urgh!” and vomited—not only all over the girl’s clothes but also deep into her chest. She screamed, stamped her foot in anger, and pushed Huo Yuanliang away before rushing off to change.
Seeing this, Huo Yuanliang quickly rinsed his mouth with water and went to find Shui Miao.
From the outside, the mansion looked like an ordinary large house. But once inside, Shui Miao discovered it was like entering a hidden paradise!
Inside were large gambling machines you’d only see in a casino city.
However, the gambling room had also been manipulated by a feng shui master. Standing in the center of the gambling machine room, Shui Miao looked around and discovered that the entire gambling room had been set up as a tiger’s mouth formation!
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