Shui Miao suddenly became alert. This old monk knew so much about the Ling Shuai of the Fifth Heaven—there was no way he was just an ordinary monk.
Then who was he? And why had he come looking for her?
The old monk seemed surprised by Shui Miao’s question. He paused, then countered, “You don’t have other questions? Like how to deal with the millennium-old female ghost, how to remove the jade pendant from your soul, or why you keep getting used as a pawn? What about the path you should take next?”
“No. Right now, I only want to know who you really are, and why you came looking for me.” Shui Miao had made up her mind—she no longer wanted to guess blindly.
Suddenly, the old monk burst into laughter… and in an instant, he vanished!
Shui Miao was stunned. Just as she was about to stand up from the meditation cushion and go outside, a large hand suddenly appeared on her shoulder.
She turned around and saw a refined middle-aged man. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with a full beard, and dressed in a long green robe, looking like an ancient scholar or poet.
“Don’t panic. Let me help you remove the pendant first.”
As soon as the scholar finished speaking, his other hand shot into Shui Miao’s back. She felt a sudden internal tremor but hadn’t even fully processed it before the man had already flashed to the opposite side, placing the Ling Shuai’s jade pendant onto a wooden platform.
“Yes, that’s the one.”
Shui Miao immediately recognized it, though the pendant was now wrapped in a faint aura of green wood energy.
Stroking his beard, the scholar said, “That Ling Shuai isn’t a good sort. Let me help you seal this pendant and sever his connection to you.”
As he spoke, a folding fan suddenly appeared in his hand. With a light tap of the fan on the pendant, the jade transformed into a wisp of green energy and was absorbed into the fan. When the scholar opened the fan, Shui Miao saw a painting on it—a figure identical to herself, wearing the very same jade pendant around his neck.
“Oh, and there’s also the two talismans within your realm. Let me remove them too.” The scholar reached out toward Shui Miao’s face and pulled out two black talismans. With a toss, he sent them flying into the fan, where they vanished.
Shui Miao suddenly grew alert. This old monk knew even about the Fifth Heaven’s Spirit Commander in such detail—he was definitely no ordinary monk.
So who was he? And why had he come looking for him?
The old monk seemed not to have expected Shui Miao to ask this. He paused for a moment before countering, “Don’t you have any other questions? Like how to deal with the thousand-year female ghost, how to extract the jade pendant from your soul, why you’re always treated as a pawn, or how you should proceed from here?”
“No. Right now, I only want to know who you are and why you came to find me.” Shui Miao had made up his mind and didn’t want to keep guessing blindly.
The old monk suddenly burst into laughter… then vanished in a flash!
Shui Miao was stunned. Just as he was about to step off the meditation cushion and go outside, a large hand landed on his shoulder.
Turning around, he saw a very refined middle-aged man—tall and sturdy, with a full beard, yet dressed in a blue robe like an ancient scholar.
“Don’t be alarmed. First, let me help you retrieve the jade pendant.”
No sooner had the scholar spoken than his other hand plunged into Shui Miao’s back. Shui Miao felt a sudden jolt within his body, and before he could react, the scholar had already moved to sit opposite him, placing the Spirit Commander’s jade pendant on his wooden sandal.
“Yes, this is the jade pendant.”
Shui Miao recognized it immediately, though it was now enveloped in a faint aura of green wood energy.
Stroking his beard, the scholar said, “That Spirit Commander is no benevolent being. I will take this jade pendant for you and sever his connection to you.”
As he spoke, a folding fan suddenly appeared in his hand. With a light tap on the jade pendant, it instantly transformed into a stream of green energy that flowed into the fan. When the scholar opened the fan, Shui Miao saw a figure painted on it—an exact likeness of himself, wearing a jade pendant around his neck identical to the one that had just been on the sandal.
“Also, let me take those two talismans from your mental realm for you.” The scholar reached out and grabbed two black talismans from in front of Shui Miao, tossing them onto the fan where they vanished.
Shui Miao felt a stir within, sensing immortal power once again flowing continuously into his mental realm.
After finishing this, the scholar closed the fan and said to Shui Miao, “Do not return to the immortal realm for the next ten years, lest you attract trouble and bring disaster upon yourself. Your main issue is that you don’t know how to conceal your cultivation level, making it easy for powerful individuals to see your realm at a glance and thus manipulate you like a pawn. If you wish to break free from being controlled, you must cultivate the Dao of Nature, integrating yourself into the natural world. That way, no one will be able to see through your cultivation—though, of course, this is no easy feat.”
“May I ask, what is the Dao of Nature?” Shui Miao was very intrigued by the scholar’s words.
The scholar nodded and explained, “Nature is heaven and earth. In my words, nature is wind and water. All things between heaven and earth are born from feng shui. The yin and yang, the five elements, and all spiritual energies you know of are encompassed within feng shui. Feng shui is also a synonym for the universe. Wind is the foundation of all things, and water is the mother of life. Only when wind and water combine can the universe, nature, and life exist.”
“Why have I never heard of these principles before?”
Though it sounded logical and novel, Shui Miao was somewhat skeptical of the scholar’s theories.
The scholar shook his head with a light laugh. “Of course you haven’t heard of them. In this vast universe, very few can transcend the Three Realms.”
“What? Transcend the Three Realms! Are you a great sage beyond the Three Realms?”
Shui Miao’s mind was shaken. Indeed, only someone with such immense power could exist beyond the Three Realms. Yet he found it hard to believe that such a supreme being would seek out someone as insignificant as himself.
“Indeed, I transcended the Three Realms five hundred years ago,” the scholar admitted without denial. “This time, my book informed me about you, and I came specifically to observe you. I found that you truly are a person of extraordinary fate and fortune.”
“Book? The Yin Spirit!”
“Ah! I remember! Could you be the feng shui master from long ago, during the Ming Dynasty, who came here searching for the mysterious tomb? Third Uncle told me about that…”
Shui Miao was astonished. He never expected to meet that legendary figure from five hundred years ago.
The scholar raised an eyebrow. “That feng shui master is indeed me.”
“But why do you say I have extraordinary fate and fortune? I feel quite ordinary!” Shui Miao was somewhat doubtful. Though he had to admit his luck seemed unusually good—his grandfather cultivated for decades without gaining immortal power, while he succeeded in just a few days—he wasn’t sure if that counted as extraordinary fate.
Especially since these words came from a supreme being who had transcended the Three Realms.
The scholar tapped his folding fan lightly. “You may think attaining immortality is easy, but the path of immortality is far more difficult than imagined. Without extraordinary encounters and great fortune, it is absolutely impossible to achieve enlightenment. When I came here all those years ago, I accidentally absorbed the Wood Sage’s spiritual energy one night, which allowed me to cultivate and attain the Dao. It took me centuries of comprehension to grasp the Great Dao of Feng Shui and finally transcend the Three Realms. You, however, have obtained the Water Sage’s spiritual energy, which is why your cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds and you encountered so many extraordinary events.”
“I didn’t even know when I obtained it!” Shui Miao was baffled.
The scholar shook his head and sighed. “Such is the whims of fate!”
Though skeptical, Shui Miao chose to believe the scholar’s words.
“The five elements generate each other—water generates wood. Did you seek me out because I can aid your cultivation?” Shui Miao felt a bit unsure, as if his question sounded somewhat naive.
To his surprise, the scholar nodded in satisfaction. “Precisely. My purpose in finding you is to have you, after several centuries when you too have transcended the Three Realms, cultivate with me and help enhance my power. Then, together, we can challenge the various demon kings in the depths of the universe. Of course, you needn’t worry too much. I will teach you the Dao of Feng Shui, the Dao of Nature, the Dao of Concealment, the Dao of Survival, and the Dao of Combat. However, these will be taught in five sessions, each spanning ten years. If you cultivate quickly, you may comprehend the five mental techniques I’ve sealed in your mental realm ahead of time.”
After saying this, the scholar opened his fan, drew five strands of spiritual energy from the painting on it, and cast them into Shui Miao’s mental realm.
Shui Miao felt a sudden clarity in his mind, as though it had been filled with vast knowledge about feng shui.
“Take care, my friend. I will return to find you in a hundred years. I have no grand gift for you, but please accept this dragon-seeking ruler.”
The scholar clasped his hands in salute.
When Shui Miao looked up, the surroundings had abruptly changed. The temple had vanished, and he found himself standing under a large tree, holding a blue dragon-seeking ruler. The sky was clear, with no rain. A van was approaching on the road nearby, and beside the scholar stood a young white-robed book boy, smiling at him.
“May I ask…”
Shui Miao clasped his hands, about to ask the scholar’s name, when both the scholar and the Yin Spirit suddenly disappeared without a trace.
“Beep, beep, beep!”
The van honked its horn, and Huo Xiang leaned out of the window, waving excitedly at Shui Miao.
After finishing, the scholar closed the fan and said to Shui Miao, “Don’t return to the Immortal Realm for the next ten years. Avoid unnecessary trouble and possible death. Also, your biggest problem is that you don’t know how to hide your cultivation. Powerful people can easily see through your cultivation level, which is why they use and manipulate you like a pawn. If you wish to escape this fate, you must cultivate the Dao of Nature, merging yourself into nature so that no one can detect your true power. Of course, this won’t be easy.”
“Please, what exactly is the Dao of Nature?” Shui Miao was deeply intrigued by his words.
The scholar nodded and explained, “Nature is the universe itself. To put it simply, it is wind and water. All things in this world are nurtured by wind and water. The Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, and all forms of spiritual energy are contained within the principles of Feng Shui. Feng Shui is another name for the universe—wind as the foundation of all things, and water as the mother of life. When wind and water combine, the universe and life are born.”
“Why have I never heard of these ideas before?”
Shui Miao was confused. The theory was fresh and made sense, yet she couldn’t quite grasp it.
The scholar smiled slightly and shook his head. “Of course you haven’t. In this vast universe, very few can transcend the Three Realms.”
“Transcend the Three Realms! Are you saying you are one of those great sages beyond the Three Realms?”
Shui Miao was deeply moved. Indeed, only someone beyond the Three Realms could possess such immense power. But she couldn’t believe it—why would such a supreme being seek out someone as insignificant as her?
“That’s right. I transcended the Three Realms five hundred years ago.” The scholar didn’t deny it. “This time, my page told me about you, so I came especially to observe you. I found that you really are someone with extraordinary fate and fortune.”
“A page! The Yin Spirit!”
“Oh! I remember now. Are you the legendary Feng Shui master who came here long ago during the Ming Dynasty to search for a mysterious tomb? My Third Uncle told me about that…”
Shui Miao was shocked beyond belief. She never imagined she would meet someone so legendary—someone from five hundred years ago.
The scholar raised his eyebrows. “That Feng Shui master was indeed me.”
Shui Miao suddenly grew alert. This elderly monk knew even about the Fifth Heaven’s Spirit Commander in such detail—he was definitely no ordinary monk.
So who was he? And why had he come looking for him?
The elderly monk seemed not to have expected Shui Miao to ask this. He paused for a moment before countering, “Don’t you have any other questions? Like how to deal with the thousand-year female ghost, how to extract the jade pendant from your soul, why you’re always treated as a pawn, or how you should proceed from here?”
“No, right now I only want to know who you are and why you came to find me.” Shui Miao had made up his mind and didn’t want to keep guessing blindly.
The elderly monk suddenly laughed heartily… then vanished in a flash!
Shui Miao was stunned. Just as he was about to step off the meditation cushion and go outside, a large hand landed on his shoulder.
Turning around, he saw a very refined middle-aged man. Tall and robust, with a full beard, he was dressed in a blue robe, looking every bit like a scholar from ancient times.
“No need to panic. First, let me help you retrieve the jade pendant.”
As soon as the middle-aged scholar finished speaking, his other hand plunged into Shui Miao’s back. Shui Miao felt a sudden jolt within his body, and before he could react, the scholar had already moved to sit opposite him, placing the Spirit Commander’s jade pendant on the wooden clog.
“Yes, this is the jade pendant.”
Shui Miao recognized it immediately, though it was now enveloped in a faint aura of green wood energy.
The middle-aged scholar stroked his beard and said, “That Spirit Commander is no benevolent being. I will take this jade pendant for you and sever his connection to you.”
As he spoke, a folding fan suddenly appeared in his hand. With a light tap on the jade pendant, it instantly transformed into a stream of green energy that flowed into the fan. When the scholar opened the fan, Shui Miao saw a figure painted on it—an exact likeness of himself, with a jade pendant hanging around his neck, identical to the one that had been on the wooden clog.
“Also, let me take those two talismans from your mental realm for you.” The middle-aged scholar reached out and grabbed two black talismans from in front of Shui Miao, tossing them onto the fan where they vanished.
Shui Miao felt a stir in his heart as he sensed immortal power once again flowing continuously into his mental realm.
After finishing this, the middle-aged scholar closed the fan and said to Shui Miao, “Do not return to the immortal realm for the next ten years, lest you attract trouble and bring disaster upon yourself. Moreover, your main issue is that you don’t know how to conceal your cultivation level, so powerful individuals can see your realm at a glance. That’s why they use you, manipulating you like a pawn. If you want to break free from being controlled by others, you must cultivate the Dao of Nature, integrating yourself into the natural world. That way, no one will be able to see through your cultivation level. Of course, this is no easy feat.”
“May I ask, what is the Dao of Nature?” Shui Miao was very intrigued by the scholar’s words.
The middle-aged scholar nodded and explained, “Nature is heaven and earth. In my words, nature is wind and water. All things between heaven and earth are born from the nurturing of wind and water. The Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, and all kinds of spiritual energy you know of are encompassed within wind and water. Wind and water are also synonymous with the universe. Wind is the foundation of all things, and water is the mother of life. Only when wind and water combine can the universe, nature, and life exist.”
“Why have I never heard of these principles before?”
Shui Miao was somewhat bewildered by the middle-aged scholar’s theories. Though they sounded reasonable and novel, he had never encountered them before.
The middle-aged scholar shook his head and smiled lightly. “Of course you haven’t heard of them. In this vast universe, very few can transcend the Three Realms.”
“What? Transcend the Three Realms! Are you a great sage beyond the Three Realms?”
Shui Miao’s mind was shaken. Indeed, if he weren’t a great sage beyond the Three Realms, he wouldn’t possess such formidable power. Yet Shui Miao found it hard to believe—why would such a super-powered being seek out a nobody like him?
“Indeed, I transcended the Three Realms five hundred years ago,” the middle-aged scholar admitted without denial. “This time, my bookkeeper told me about you, and I came specifically to observe you. I found that you truly are a person of extraordinary fortune and serendipity.”
“Bookkeeper! The Yin God!”
“Ah! I remember! Could you be the feng shui master from long ago, during the Ming Dynasty, who came here searching for the mysterious tomb? Third Uncle told me about that…”
Shui Miao was utterly astonished. He never expected to meet that legendary figure from five hundred years ago.
The middle-aged scholar raised an eyebrow. “That feng shui master is indeed me.”
“But why do you say I have extraordinary fortune and serendipity? I feel quite ordinary!” Shui Miao also somewhat doubted his own luck. His grandfather had cultivated for decades without attaining immortal power, while he had succeeded in just a few days. But that hardly seemed like extraordinary fortune and serendipity.
Moreover, these words were coming from a super-powered being who had transcended the Three Realms.
The middle-aged scholar tapped his folding fan in his palm. “You might think attaining immortality is easy, but in reality, the path of immortality is far more difficult than imagined. Without extraordinary encounters and great fortune, it is absolutely impossible to achieve enlightenment. When I came here all those years ago, I accidentally absorbed the Wood Sage’s spiritual energy one night, which gave me the opportunity to cultivate and attain enlightenment. It took me centuries of comprehension to grasp the Great Dao of Feng Shui, and only then did I have the chance to transcend the Three Realms. But you—you obtained the Water Sage’s spiritual energy, which is why your cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, with one serendipitous encounter after another.”
“I didn’t even know when I obtained it!” Shui Miao was confused.
The middle-aged scholar shook his head and sighed. “Such is the whims of fate!”
Though doubtful, Shui Miao chose to believe the middle-aged scholar’s words.
“The Five Elements generate each other—water generates wood. Did you seek me out because I can help you in your cultivation?” Shui Miao was somewhat uncertain, feeling his question might sound foolish.
To his surprise, the middle-aged scholar nodded in satisfaction. “Precisely. My purpose in finding you is to hope that, centuries from now, after you too have transcended the Three Realms, you will cultivate with me, help me enhance my power, and together we will challenge the various demon kings in the depths of the universe. Of course, you needn’t worry too much. I will teach you the Dao of Feng Shui, the Dao of Nature, the Dao of Concealment, the Dao of Survival, and the Dao of Combat. However, these will be taught in five sessions, each spanning ten years. If you cultivate quickly, you may comprehend the five mental techniques I’ve sealed in your mental realm ahead of time.”
After saying this, the middle-aged scholar opened his folding fan, drew five streams of spiritual energy from the painting on it, and cast them into Shui Miao’s mental realm.
Shui Miao felt a sudden clarity in his mind, realizing that his thoughts were now filled with vast knowledge about feng shui.
“Take care, my friend. I will return to find you in a hundred years. I have no grand gift for you, but please accept this dragon-seeking ruler.”
The middle-aged scholar clasped his hands in salute to Shui Miao.
When Shui Miao looked up, he found the surroundings had abruptly changed. The temple and everything else had vanished. He was now standing under a large tree, holding a blue dragon-seeking ruler. The sky was clear, with no rain. A minivan was approaching on the road nearby, and beside the middle-aged scholar stood a young bookkeeper in white robes, smiling at him.
“May I ask…”
Shui Miao clasped his hands, about to ask the middle-aged scholar’s name, when he and the Yin God suddenly vanished without a trace.
“Beep beep beep!”
The minivan honked its horn, and Huo Xiang leaned out of the window, waving excitedly at Shui Miao.
Especially since these words came from the mouth of a supreme being who had transcended the Three Realms.
The scholar tapped his palm with the fan. “You think becoming an immortal is easy, but in reality, the path to immortality is unimaginably difficult. Without rare opportunities and immense fortune, no one can attain the Dao. Back then, I came here and accidentally absorbed the Wood Saint’s spiritual energy one night, which gave me the chance to cultivate. After centuries of cultivation, I finally grasped the Dao of Feng Shui and transcended the Three Realms. You, however, have obtained the Water Saint’s spiritual energy, which is why your cultivation has advanced so rapidly, bringing you one rare opportunity after another.”
“But I don’t even remember when I got it!” Shui Miao was puzzled.
The scholar shook his head in awe. “Truly, fate plays strange tricks!”
Though doubtful, Shui Miao chose to believe the scholar’s words.
“The Five Elements generate each other—water gives birth to wood. Could it be that you came looking for me because I can help you in your cultivation?” Shui Miao hesitated, feeling her words might sound foolish.
To her surprise, the scholar nodded with satisfaction. “Exactly. The reason I came looking for you is so that, hundreds of years from now, when you too transcend the Three Realms, you can cultivate alongside me, help me grow stronger, and together we can challenge the various demon kings deep in the universe. Of course, you needn’t worry too much—I will teach you the Dao of Feng Shui, the Dao of Nature, the Dao of concealment, the Dao of survival, and the Dao of combat. I’ll teach these to you in five sessions, each lasting ten years. If you cultivate quickly, you might even grasp the five heart techniques I’ve sealed within your realm ahead of schedule.”
After speaking, the scholar opened his fan and drew out five streams of spiritual energy, hurling them into Shui Miao’s realm.
A sudden clarity surged through her mind, and she discovered that her thoughts were now filled with vast knowledge about Feng Shui.
“Take care, my friend. I’ll return to find you in a hundred years. As a parting gift, I’ll give you a Dragon-Seeking Ruler.”
The scholar bowed deeply to her.
When Shui Miao looked up, she found the surroundings had changed abruptly—the temple was gone, and she was now standing beneath a large tree, holding a green Dragon-Seeking Ruler. The sky was clear, not a drop of rain in sight. On the nearby road, a minivan was approaching, and beside the scholar stood a young white-robed page, smiling at her.
“Excuse me…”
Shui Miao raised her fists to ask the scholar his name, but in an instant, he and the Yin Spirit had vanished.
“Beep beep!”
The minivan honked. Huo Xiang leaned out the window, excitedly waving at Shui Miao.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage