Chapter 95: Misfortune and Fortune

Shui Miao and Xiao Tudou chatted as they walked and soon arrived at the entrance of a mid-range hotel.

Through their conversation, Shui Miao learned that Xiao Tudou’s psychological age was far from matching his physical age. Mentally, Xiao Tudou was like a teenager, very innocent and simple-minded. He was also very cautious when it came to food. He dared not violate his master’s teachings, and now hesitated as they stood at the hotel entrance.

“Senior Brother, maybe we shouldn’t go in! Before my master passed away, he told me there are many things in this world that shouldn’t be eaten. Eating them will affect our spiritual energy, making it impure and weakening our ability to use it. Then I won’t be able to transform my appearance using spiritual energy anymore.”

Xiao Tudou turned around and started walking back toward the alley. “Forget it, I’d rather go back and eat vegetable buns.”

“Then… okay, I guess…”

Shui Miao was reminded by Xiao Tudou’s words and suddenly realized why his control over spiritual energy was so poor. It was because his spiritual energy was chaotic and not refined enough. If that was the case, he might as well go with his junior brother and eat buns too.

“Senior Brother, let me tell you, there’s a place where the buns are really, really delicious. The vegetables inside contain a lot of earth-element spiritual energy. After eating them, I feel so refreshed,” said Xiao Tudou, who became excited and enthusiastic about sharing the buns’ advantages with Shui Miao after seeing that his senior brother was willing to go eat with him.

Hearing this, Shui Miao realized that he and Xiao Tudou had similar cultivation methods. The main reason he could cultivate spiritual energy was due to his grandfather’s cultivation techniques, but his diet was also one of the key factors.

“Alright, let’s go try them.”

Shui Miao, convinced by Xiao Tudou, was walking with him when they spotted Xiao Tang Sister in the alley ahead.

“This Xiao Tang Sister is really a headache. Why did I have to run into her again!” Seeing Xiao Tang Sister, Shui Miao instinctively felt his scalp tingling and quickly pulled Xiao Tudou into a side alley to hide.

Xiao Tudou looked at Shui Miao and scratched his head. “Senior Brother, have you noticed something wrong with this woman?”

“What do you mean?” Shui Miao sensed that Xiao Tudou was hinting at something beyond just Xiao Tang Sister’s personality.

“You really didn’t notice?” Xiao Tudou seemed slightly disappointed.

Shui Miao frowned and glanced at Xiao Tang Sister. “What’s all this secrecy? What do you mean? Is she possessed by a ghost?”

“Not exactly. Maybe because she is of the earth element and I specialize in earth-element spiritual energy, but I can sense that she is surrounded by bad luck. She might face a series of misfortunes lately, maybe even a car accident. But once today passes, she should be fine,” Xiao Tudou whispered softly, afraid of being overheard.

Upon hearing this, Shui Miao was puzzled. Why hadn’t he noticed?

“Let me check…”

Shui Miao quickly activated his spiritual energy, opened his Yin-Yang eyes, and stepped out to observe Xiao Tang Sister. Just as she turned her back, he noticed a grayish aura surrounding her.

Xiao Tudou peeked from the alleyway, sticking half his head out to look at Xiao Tang Sister’s back. “Senior Brother, within that gray aura, there’s another kind of energy. Look closely at her hair color…”

Xiao Tang Sister’s hair was black.

Shui Miao focused intently on her hair and faintly noticed a glimmer of white light flickering among the strands. “I see it. There’s a very thin line of white light…”

“That’s the one!”

Xiao Tudou explained, “Senior Brother, do you now understand why I wanted to ask her for money?”

“Just tell me directly. I don’t understand these things,” Shui Miao said without shame. He wasn’t afraid of being laughed at—he believed that asking questions was more important than saving face.

Xiao Tudou pulled his head back and whispered, “When a person is having bad luck, they’re often also short on money. Human thoughts are very powerful. Xiao Tang Sister can’t find a job, so she must be desperate for money. At a time like this, if I ask her for money, she’ll feel conflicted and focus her thoughts on money. When she gives me the money, because of her reluctance, she’ll transfer some of her bad luck onto the money. By taking that money from her, I’m also taking away some of her misfortune.”

“Is that so?” Shui Miao suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment and said excitedly, “When I was little, I often heard villagers say that when someone is having bad luck, it keeps coming in waves, sometimes several times in one day. According to your explanation, it’s because they haven’t fully released their bad luck all at once, so they keep facing misfortunes?”

“Exactly! That’s what my master told me before he passed away,” Xiao Tudou nodded quickly. “Actually, everyone carries some degree of bad luck, but those of us who understand Feng Shui and can control spiritual energy are different. We know what actions are acceptable and what should be avoided, which energies are good and which are bad, and we use techniques to neutralize them. That’s why we don’t encounter major disasters. Also, a lot of good and bad fortune is transmitted through money. There’s a lot to it, and I can’t explain everything right now. I’ll tell you more later. Right now, we should try to get some money from her or find a way to dispel that white streak of negative energy. Otherwise, she might really suffer a major misfortune.”

Xiao Tudou had a kind and compassionate heart.

“Alright, regardless of anything else, I’ve known her for a while. I can’t just stand by and do nothing,” Shui Miao sighed, thinking about the passionate kiss he had shared with Xiao Tang Sister. He couldn’t bear to see her continue suffering from bad luck.

※※※

Barefoot, Xiao Tang Sister searched the alley twice and was about to give up when Shui Miao suddenly appeared behind her. “Xiao Tang Sister, are you looking for me?”

“Yes!”

Xiao Tang Sister turned around and saw Shui Miao. Her heart was filled with both surprise and joy.

“Xiao Tang Sister, my wallet was stolen. Can you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back later,” Shui Miao asked directly, holding out his hand.

Shui Miao and Little Potato chatted as they walked, soon arriving at the entrance of a mid-range hotel.

Through their conversation, Shui Miao learned that Little Potato’s mental age was completely inconsistent with his actual age—he seemed to be only in his teens mentally. His thoughts were very simple, and he appeared particularly timid when it came to food. He didn’t dare to disobey his master’s teachings. When they reached the hotel entrance, he hesitated.

“Senior Brother, let’s forget it! Before he passed away, Master told me that there are many things in this world we cannot eat. If we eat them, our spiritual power will be affected and become impure. Then we won’t be able to use it properly, and I won’t be able to transform into different forms using spiritual energy.”

Little Potato turned around and headed toward the alley. “Forget it, I’ll just go back and eat vegetable buns.”

“Well… alright then…”

Shui Miao was reminded by Little Potato’s words and suddenly realized something—no wonder his ability to control spiritual power was so poor. It turned out his spiritual energy was chaotic and impure. Since that was the case, he had no choice but to join his junior brother in eating buns.

“Senior Brother, let me tell you, there’s a shop whose buns are really, really delicious. The vegetables inside those buns contain a large amount of earth-based spiritual energy. After eating them, I feel incredibly refreshed.” Seeing that Shui Miao was willing to join him for buns, Little Potato’s mood lightened instantly, and he excitedly explained the advantages of the buns to Shui Miao.

Hearing this, Shui Miao realized that Little Potato’s cultivation method had similarities with his own. The main reason he could cultivate spiritual energy was due to his grandfather’s cultivation techniques, but diet was also a significant factor.

“Let’s go try them.”

Shui Miao was tempted by Little Potato’s description. As they walked, they saw Sister Tang appearing in the alley ahead.

“This Sister Tang is really something—why do we keep running into her!” Seeing Sister Tang, Shui Miao felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly pulled Little Potato into a nearby bend to hide.

Little Potato looked at Shui Miao and scratched his head, asking, “Senior Brother, did you notice something off about that woman?”

“What do you mean?” Shui Miao sensed that, aside from Sister Tang’s personality issues, Little Potato seemed to be hinting at something else.

“So you didn’t notice, Senior Brother!” Little Potato sounded slightly disappointed.

Shui Miao frowned, glanced at Sister Tang, and asked curiously, “What are you being so mysterious about? Is she possessed by a ghost or something?”

“No, it’s not that. Maybe because she has an earth-based destiny and I specialize in cultivating earth spiritual energy, but I sense she’s plagued by misfortune. She’s likely to face a streak of bad luck recently—maybe even a car accident. But she’ll be fine after today.” Little Potato spoke softly, afraid others might hear.

Hearing this, Shui Miao was puzzled. Why hadn’t he noticed anything?

“Let me take a look…”

Shui Miao quickly circulated his spiritual energy, activated his Yin-Yang eyes, and stepped out to observe Sister Tang. Just as he caught sight of her back, he noticed a faint gray aura enveloping her.

Little Potato also followed, peeking out from the bend with half his head visible. “Senior Brother, there’s another aura within that gray mist. Look closely at the color of her hair…”

Sister Tang’s hair was black.

Shui Miao focused intently on Sister Tang’s hair and faintly noticed a glimmer of white light shimmering among her strands. “I see it—it looks like a very thin, very faint white light…”

“Yes, that’s the white light!”

Little Potato explained, “Senior Brother, do you know why I asked her for money earlier?”

“Just tell me directly. I don’t understand any of this.” Shui Miao wasn’t afraid of being laughed at by Little Potato. If he didn’t know, he’d ask—what was the point of saving face?

Little Potato pulled his head back and whispered, “When a person is down on their luck, they’re often short on money. Human intention is incredibly powerful. This Sister Tang can’t find a job and must be really strapped for cash. If I ask her for money now, she’ll feel conflicted and focus her thoughts on money. When she gives me the money, because her intention is focused on it and she’s reluctant to part with it, she’ll transfer some of her misfortune onto the money. By taking her money, I’m lightening her burden of misfortune, which in turn reduces the severity of her calamities.”

“Really!” Shui Miao suddenly had an epiphany and said excitedly, “When I was a kid, I often heard folks in the countryside say that if someone is unlucky, they’ll have a streak of bad luck—sometimes several misfortunes in one day. According to your explanation, it’s because those people couldn’t release all their misfortune and bad luck at once, so they kept having bad luck?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what Master told me before he passed away.” Little Potato nodded repeatedly. “Actually, everyone carries some misfortune with them, but those of us who understand feng shui and can harness spiritual energy are different. We know what can and can’t be done, which energies are good and which are bad, and we use methods to resolve them. That way, we avoid major disasters. Also, good and bad luck are often transmitted through money. There’s a lot to learn about this, too much to explain all at once. We can talk more about it later. For now, we should find a way to ask her for some money or figure out how to dispel that white light of malignant energy. Otherwise, she might really face serious misfortune.”

Little Potato was kind-hearted and compassionate.

“Alright, no matter what, I’ve known her for a while. I can’t just stand by and watch her suffer.” Shui Miao shook his head, thinking about that passionate kiss he shared with Sister Tang. He really couldn’t bear to see her continue down this path of misfortune.

※※※

Sister Tang, barefoot, had searched the alley twice and was about to give up when Shui Miao suddenly appeared behind her. “Sister Tang, were you looking for me?”

“Yes!”

Sister Tang turned around and saw Shui Miao, feeling both surprised and delighted.

“Sister Tang, my wallet was stolen. Can you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back later.” Shui Miao reached out his hand directly to ask for a loan.

Sister Tang was taken aback. She had originally intended to ask Shui Miao for money but didn’t expect him to beat her to it!

Looking at Shui Miao and Little Potato, Sister Tang said with great conflict, “Shui Miao, I was looking for you mainly to apologize and explain. Chairman Lin asked me to take care of you. I thought I could make some money from it, so I spent a lot on clothes and bags. But then Chairman Lin called and asked how you were doing. I lied, and she fired me on the spot. I didn’t know the situation and thought you had complained and framed me, which is why I acted the way I did earlier. Now, I’m penniless and down on my luck. I don’t have any money to lend you…”

As she spoke, Sister Tang opened her purse to show Shui Miao—there was indeed no money inside.

It was only then that Shui Miao realized Lin Qing’er had directly fired Sister Tang. No wonder she had taken her anger out on him.

“Impossible! You still have money in your pants pocket—over five hundred yuan!” Little Potato’s mastery of earth spiritual energy was impeccable. Because Sister Tang had an earth-based destiny, he could discern her thoughts.

“How… how did you know!?”

Sister Tang was shocked, looking at Little Potato as if he were a monster.

“Sister Tang, you’re not treating me like a friend at all. I said I’d pay you back. We were colleagues, and our relationship isn’t ordinary. How can you not trust me?” Shui Miao shamelessly asked Sister Tang for money—it was the first time he had ever done something like this. He had never borrowed money from a girl before.

“No, it’s not that!” Sister Tang waved her hands repeatedly. “It’s just that I really don’t have that much money on me. If I give it all to you, I won’t even have money for food, let alone for a taxi home. I won’t even have money to use a public restroom…”

Sister Tang lowered her head. If she weren’t in such dire straits, she wouldn’t have said these things.

“Why all the nonsense? If we’re friends, just lend me the money.” Shui Miao didn’t want to hear more and acted impatient.

“I…” Sister Tang was speechless. She wondered what had gotten into Shui Miao today. “Shui Miao, I can lend you four hundred. Can I keep the last hundred for taxi fare back?”

“Ugh! Forget it if you won’t lend it!” Shui Miao turned to leave.

Seeing this, Sister Tang quickly called out to him and took out the last five hundred yuan she had.

Before Shui Miao could reach out, Little Potato extended his hand. “Give it to me.”

Sister Tang was stunned. Half the money was already in Little Potato’s grip. To stir Sister Tang’s intention, Shui Miao quickly cooperated with Little Potato and said to her, “If you give the money to him, it doesn’t count as lending it to me. I won’t pay you back.”

“What!”

Hearing this, Sister Tang immediately panicked and tried to snatch the money back from Little Potato. Little Potato held on tightly, and the two struggled. Seeing that the timing was right, Little Potato suddenly shouted “Zhà!” at Sister Tang’s hand. His voice was so loud it startled her, and her grip loosened. The money fell into Little Potato’s hand. He took it, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it vigorously!

After stomping on it more than a dozen times, Little Potato finally relaxed. “Alright, it’s done.”

Hearing this, Shui Miao took out a thousand yuan from his pocket and handed it to Sister Tang. “Take it. Don’t ask why—you wouldn’t understand even if I explained. Now, let’s go eat buns together.”

“Great! Let’s go eat buns!”

Little Potato excitedly picked up the money and handed it to Shui Miao, but Shui Miao shook his head. “Keep this money. How can you get by in this world without any money in your pocket?”

“Th-then thank you, Senior Brother!”

Little Potato jumped for joy. In all his life, he had never held so much money.

Watching Little Potato’s happiness, Shui Miao found it hard to believe that such a pure-hearted person like Little Potato could exist in a big city. Maintaining such innocence was no easy feat! He felt he had much to learn from his junior brother in terms of mindset.

Sister Tang was utterly confused by Shui Miao and Little Potato’s actions.

Unwilling to let it go, she followed behind Shui Miao, hoping to find an opportunity to get to the bottom of things.

Seeing Sister Tang following them, Little Potato said, “Senior Brother, you’ve given her some of your good luck. She should have a turnaround soon. Judging by her current state, today—or maybe even right now—good fortune might come her way.”

“Really! How can you tell?” Shui Miao suddenly realized that his junior brother was even more insightful than finding a master.

“Look at her forehead. There’s a hint of great fortune—that’s it.”

Little Potato stopped and pointed it out directly to Shui Miao.

Looking at both Shui Miao and Xiao Tudou, Xiao Tang Sister hesitated and said, “Shui Miao, the main reason I came looking for you was to apologize and explain. Madam Lin asked me to take care of you. I thought I could earn a good sum of money, so I spent a lot on clothes and bags. But when Madam Lin called me to ask how you were doing, I lied, and then she fired me immediately. I didn’t know what was going on, and I thought it was you who had reported me and framed me, which is why I acted the way I did earlier. Now, I’m completely broke and have no money to lend you…”

Xiao Tang Sister even opened her handbag to show Shui Miao, and indeed, there wasn’t a single coin inside.

Only then did Shui Miao realize that it was Madam Lin who had fired Xiao Tang Sister. No wonder she had taken her anger out on him.

“That’s not true! There’s still money in your pants pocket—over five hundred yuan!” Xiao Tudou, who had mastered earth-element spiritual energy, could sense Xiao Tang Sister’s thoughts because she was of the earth element.

“How… how did you know that!?” Xiao Tang Sister was shocked, staring at Xiao Tudou as if he were some kind of monster.

“Xiao Tang Sister, you really don’t trust me, do you? I said I’d pay you back. We’ve worked together, and our relationship isn’t ordinary. Why don’t you believe me?” Shui Miao, for the first time in his life, shamelessly asked a girl for money—he had never done this before.

“No, that’s not what I meant!” Xiao Tang Sister waved her hands repeatedly. “It’s just that I really don’t have that much money left. If I give it all to you, I won’t even have enough to eat or take a taxi home, not even enough to use a public restroom…”

Xiao Tang Sister lowered her head. She wouldn’t have said such words if she hadn’t fallen into such dire poverty.

“What’s the point of saying so much? If we’re friends, just lend it,” Shui Miao didn’t want to waste words and looked impatient as he waited.

“I…” Xiao Tang Sister was speechless. She couldn’t understand why Shui Miao was acting like this today. “Alright, Shui Miao, I’ll lend you four hundred, and keep the last hundred for my taxi fare home, okay?”

“Ah! Then forget it!” Shui Miao turned and started walking away.

Seeing this, Xiao Tang Sister hurriedly called him back and took out the last of her more than five hundred yuan.

Before Shui Miao could reach out, Xiao Tudou extended his hand. “Give it to me.”

Xiao Tang Sister was stunned, but the money was already half in Xiao Tudou’s grasp. To engage Xiao Tang Sister’s thoughts, Shui Miao quickly played along with Xiao Tudou. He turned to her and said, “If you give the money to him, it doesn’t count as me borrowing it. I won’t pay you back.”

“What!?”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tang Sister immediately tensed up and tried to wrestle the money back from Xiao Tudou. But Xiao Tudou held on tightly. As the timing seemed right, Xiao Tudou suddenly shouted “Zha!” at Xiao Tang Sister’s hand. His loud voice startled her, and she loosened her grip. The money fell into Xiao Tudou’s hands. He quickly threw it onto the ground and stomped on it repeatedly.

After stomping on it about a dozen times, Xiao Tudou let out a sigh of relief. “Alright, it’s done.”

Hearing this, Shui Miao took out a thousand yuan from his pocket and handed it to Xiao Tang Sister. “Take it. Don’t ask why. You wouldn’t understand anyway. Now, let’s go eat some buns together.”

“Great! Let’s go eat buns!”

Xiao Tudou happily picked up the money and handed it to Shui Miao, but Shui Miao shook his head. “You keep this little bit. How can you go around without any money in your pocket?”

“Then… thank you, Senior Brother!” Xiao Tudou jumped up in joy. He had never held so much money in his life.

Looking at Xiao Tudou’s happy face, Shui Miao couldn’t help but marvel. In this big city, there was actually such a pure-hearted person like Xiao Tudou, a true outsider to the world. It was rare and precious to maintain such innocence. Shui Miao realized he should learn from his junior brother in terms of cultivating his own mindset.

Xiao Tang Sister was completely confused by the actions of Shui Miao and Xiao Tudou.

Still unwilling to give up, she followed behind Shui Miao, hoping to get some answers.

Seeing Xiao Tang Sister following them, Xiao Tudou said, “Senior Brother, you’ve given her some of your good fortune. She should soon have her luck turned around. Looking at her now, I think she might receive some good fortune very soon, perhaps even today.”

“Really? How can you tell?” Shui Miao suddenly realized that his junior brother was even more insightful than a master could be.

“Look at her forehead. There’s a sign of good fortune right there.”

Xiao Tudou stopped and pointed it out to Shui Miao.