This move proved effective. As soon as everyone saw the man with the gun, they quickly scattered in all directions, fearing that a stray bullet might hit them. After the onlookers had all dispersed, Liu Dashao suddenly realized that only the two daughters-in-law remained, along with the corpse of their father still lying in the main hall, and the freshly slain body of their younger brother, Wang Xiaoqiang.
As for the youngest couple, they had somehow quietly slipped away to the sidelines, secretly enjoying the chaos. The relatives from the bride’s family, who had come earlier to assist in the fight for justice alongside Wang Xiaoqiang’s wife, had also distanced themselves from the family, fearing that the joint security personnel would label them as accomplices. This situation reminded Liu Dashao of only one phrase: “the coldness and warmth of human relationships.”
In the end, both sisters-in-law were taken away by the authorities, and Wang Xiaoqiang’s body was taken for investigation. The only ones left standing at the gate were the youngest couple, Wang Cai and his wife. As the team leader departed, he warned them: “Hurry up and bury your father. If any more trouble arises, we’ll throw you in jail too!”
The situation was abruptly resolved with the intervention of the joint security team, and everything returned to calm, leaving everyone feeling uneasy. People resumed their activities, though the old man’s corpse still lay in the main hall.
“Hey, things really escalated, huh? Kind of like the ‘Xuanwumen Incident’ in history?” Zhang Enpu suddenly appeared beside Liu Dashao.
Liu Dashao glared at him fiercely and said, “Escalate? Escalate nothing. Where the hell did you go? I nearly got hacked to death just now!”
Zhang Enpu replied, “Just as I suspected, there was still a life debt to settle.”
Liu Dashao said, “Right again. It seems this ‘day of double mourning’ really is terrifying.”
Zhang Enpu sighed, “Ah, thinking about this family, it’s quite tragic. They’ve dug themselves into a massive pit. Although their fate was self-inflicted due to their own misdeeds, it’s still a pitiful sight.”
Liu Dashao nodded, “Indeed.”
Zhang Enpu said, “Let’s find another burial site for the deceased. Forget that cursed plot. They’ve already paid a heavy enough price through their retribution; there’s no need for us to add insult to injury.”
Liu Dashao wholeheartedly agreed. In fact, he had already felt a pang of sympathy and said, “Exactly. So where should we look for a new site?”
Zhang Enpu replied, “Earlier, I walked around the house and found a ‘prodigal son returning’ energy line nearby. It splits into two graves—one in front and one behind. The rear grave can be for the father, and the front one for the son. After what happened, I wonder if these two graves were destined for them all along. In terms of fate, this is called a karmic calamity. The first principle of Feng Shui says: fate first, fortune second, Feng Shui third. Truly accurate.”
Liu Dashao said, “That’s great then. The energy is ‘prodigal son returning.’ I hope their descendants can indeed turn their lives around, just like those four words suggest.”
Zhang Enpu entered the house and found Wang Cai, who was arranging the funeral matters. He told him, “Earlier, I discovered two burial spots beside your house. They are better than the one we previously examined. Your father will be buried in the rear grave, and the front grave is for your older brother. I’ve already marked them. Just follow my markings when digging the graves.”
Although Wang Cai had been shaken by the events, he still remembered to ask about money, “How much will my brother’s burial plot cost?”
Zhang Enpu smirked, “No charge. I’m offering this service for free.”
Wang Cai felt relieved and said, “That’s very kind of you.”
Zhang Enpu replied, “No need to thank me. Just remember, the order must not be reversed. The elder should be placed at the back, and the younger son at the front. Otherwise, their positions won’t match, and the earth’s energy will reject them.”
Wang Cai nodded, “I understand.”
“Alright then, we’re off.” Zhang Enpu took out a small bag from his pocket—money that Wang Xiaoqiang had bribed him with before his death. Without touching a single bill, he placed the bag on the table in the main hall and walked out.
In the days that followed, Liu Dashao, with nothing much to do, often studied the Daoist books passed down by Old Lady Fan and Master Wenzhen. Whenever he encountered something he didn’t understand, he would seek Zhang Enpu’s guidance. Over time, he began to grasp more and could even analyze some content on his own.
One day, Liu Dashao and Dog Egg were playing at the village entrance.
“Dashao, you little brat, come catch me if you can!” Dog Egg shouted while running and looking back with a laugh.
“Damn you! Give my sunflower seeds back!” Liu Dashao shouted furiously as he chased.
“Not giving! Not giving!”
At that moment, Liu Dashao saw a group of people approaching from ahead of Dog Egg, while Dog Egg continued running forward, laughing and looking back.
Liu Dashao tried to shout a warning, but it was too late. Dog Egg crashed headfirst into the tallest man in the group and bounced backward, landing on the ground and clutching his chest in pain.
Seeing this, Liu Dashao rushed over to help Dog Egg up.
“Damn brat with no eyes!” the tall man shouted angrily, raising his hand to strike Dog Egg.
Liu Dashao quickly shielded Dog Egg with his body, closed his eyes, and braced for the blow, shouting, “Hey hey hey! We told you many times—we’re gamblers. What kind of thing is it to hit a child!”
Opening his eyes, he saw a thin, dark-complexed middle-aged man step forward from the group, pulling the tall man back. The man wore flashy jewelry that looked oddly out of place on him.
The thin man squatted down and smiled at Liu Dashao, “This kid’s got guts. What’s your name?”
“None of your damn business!” Liu Dashao snapped without even glancing at him.
The thin man slightly frowned but quickly relaxed and smiled again, “Heh, this little punk’s kind of interesting. You like gambling? Let’s play a round, kid!”
“We don’t have any money!” Liu Dashao replied, suspicious of the man’s intentions.
The thin man burst into laughter, “Hahaha! Must gambling always be about money? You can bet houses, people, even lives!”
He suddenly leaned in close to Liu Dashao’s ear and whispered, “Like this… I bet the chubby kid behind you breaks his left arm tonight! Hahaha!” Then he laughed loudly and led his group into the village.
Dog Egg trembled and asked Liu Dashao, “Was… was he serious?”
Liu Dashao was also shaken by the man’s menacing demeanor, but he said, “Hmph! He’s just trying to scare us!” Although he said that, he still felt uneasy inside, especially when the thin man had stared at him so malevolently, making him feel like he couldn’t breathe.
“Let’s go back to the village and see what those people are really up to!” Saying this, he thoughtfully grabbed Dog Egg’s hand and ran back into the village.
Upon reaching the village, they saw a large crowd gathered under the big banyan tree. Liu Dashao and Dog Egg stood within the crowd and saw the thin man at the center. What truly drew the villagers’ attention wasn’t the strangers themselves, but the large pile of white grain coupons on the ground beside him—stacked as high as a bench.
Liu Dashao had never seen so much money before. Looking around, he saw everyone staring at the coupons in stunned silence.
Once the crowd had gathered, the thin man clapped his hands a few times and announced, “I’m from Zaozhuang, Hebei. I have no other hobbies—just a lifelong obsession with gambling. I’ve traveled through many villages, and no one has ever beaten me. Today, I’m willing to gamble with any gambling expert in this village. Bet on anything you like. Win against me, and you can take all this money!”
His words caused a stir among the crowd. Liu Dashao thought to himself, “This thin guy sure talks big!”
Suddenly, someone shouted, “I’ll give it a try!” It was Zhang Dongwang from next door.
The thin man smiled slightly and said, “Please, show me your skill!”
He gestured politely, and the two stood face to face.
“Brother, what would you like to bet?” the thin man asked.
Zhang Dongwang took off the white collar around his neck and placed it on the nearby table. “I want to bet on big or small. This silver collar is my family heirloom, the most valuable thing I own. If I win, I take all that money…”
The thin man smirked, “All of it is yours if you can beat me. Hehehe!”
He pulled out dice and a cup from his pocket and pushed them toward Zhang Dongwang.
“You roll. I’ll bet on one point!” Zhang Dongwang took the cup, threw the dice inside, and shook it several times before slamming it onto the table. Slowly lifting the cup, everyone leaned in and saw: one point! The thin man had won, which most had expected given his arrogant confidence—he must be an expert.
Zhang Dongwang dejectedly left the table. The thin man tossed the collar onto the pile of money and said, “Now the stakes have increased. Win against me, and you can take both the collar and all this money!”
At that moment, Yan Xiaoliu, a notorious troublemaker from the village known for his selfish and harmful behavior, stepped forward.
“Hehehe… You said anything can be bet on, right?”
“Exactly! Anything!” The thin man glanced at Yan Xiaoliu with disdain.
Yan Xiaoliu said, “I bet my lifespan. I say I’ll die at fifty. Hehe, dare you bet?”
Liu Dashao secretly laughed, thinking, “Now let’s see how you’ll bet. You’re going to lose, you bully! Let’s see if you dare!” But to his surprise, the thin man didn’t hesitate and immediately agreed, “Of course! I bet you’ll drop dead on the street as soon as you pass the second alley on your way home!” He stared coldly at Yan Xiaoliu.
“Hehehe, I’ll just walk home and come back, and all this money and the collar will be mine. Don’t go back on your word now!”
“Hehehe, absolutely not!” The thin man laughed coldly.
Yan Xiaoliu was delighted but suddenly shuddered in his shoulders. He then awkwardly walked out of the crowd, seemingly heading home. He walked slowly and strangely.
Liu Dashao secretly circled behind the crowd, bit his left middle finger, and used the blood to write the character “Gang” (meaning “Yang”) on his right palm. He formed a hand seal with his left hand and covered his forehead with his right palm.
This was a technique Liu Dashao had seen in the Daoist book “Zhengyi Fu Zuan.” Since it was written in ancient script, he only understood a little.
The book said: “Human eyes naturally connect to both the yin and yang worlds. The celestial fire in the human head, when covered by pure yang fire, can reveal evil spirits.” Human middle finger and tongue blood contain pure yang energy. Writing “Gang” symbolizes yang energy, and covering the forehead allows one to see ghosts and spirits.
Liu Dashao opened his eyes and looked toward Yan Xiaoliu. What he saw startled him greatly.
Behind Yan Xiaoliu, who was walking slowly, was a long-haired, black-robed demon. The demon’s tongue hung long from its mouth, resting on Yan Xiaoliu’s shoulder. Its flat face had bulging eyes that stared back at the crowd. Yan Xiaoliu took a few emotionless steps before staggering and collapsing to the ground.
Liu Dashao whispered in alarm, “Oh no!” and immediately turned to run home. But as he turned, he was so frightened he fell to the ground.
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