Chapter 17 - Ready to Go

Upon hearing Chen Shaoxian’s call, Liu Baodong hurried over and took the binoculars to look toward Qianniao Garden.

Chen Shaoxian explained, “Uncle Liu, look, the huge rock in front of the mound is the dragon’s head, and that pavilion is the dragon’s tail. There are four paths crossing on top of the mound, dividing it into eight sections corresponding to the Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui positions-this represents the Bagua. Two of these paths extend to the edges, while the other two form the dragon’s claws. Additionally, carrying a stele on its back, this mound is the Bagua Pattern Bixi. Uncle Liu, look again, what do the mound and this small lake form together?”

Liu Baodong looked closely and exclaimed, “Yin-Yang Taiji¹.”

Chen Shaoxian nodded, “Exactly, it is the Yin-Yang Taiji. Water represents yin and the tail part of the Bixi is the Yin Eye, while the mountain represents yang, with the stele as the Yang Eye. The Bixi, being an auspicious beast, embodies prosperity and protection. Those unfortunate souls who perished in the fire died tragically with resentful energy soaring to the skies, thus we use the Bixi to suppress this energy within them. With its auspicious aura on the outside, it can solidify this. A person’s death is yin, and dying in a fire makes the resentful energy ‘Yin Fire.’ The dragon’s head is yang, able to absorb ‘yang fire’ into its belly, counteracting each other and discharging through the water’s yin. Thus, the cycle of Yin and Yang continues endlessly, grinding down the resentful energy gradually until it’s gone.”

Chen Shaoxian then urged the two, “Let’s go to the pavilion.”

Seeing Xiao Zhuang a bit confused, Chen Shaoxian patted his shoulder, “If a person only eats without excreting, they will surely burst. That’s the situation here. Since its ‘exit’ has been blocked by others, we should do a good deed and help clear it out.”

After descending from the TV Tower, the trio returned to Qianniao Garden. They rented a boat and rowed towards the pavilion. Upon reaching its base, Chen Shaoxian looked up at the structure, then tapped Liu Baodong, pointing upwards, “Uncle Liu, look.”

Following the direction of his finger, Liu Baodong noticed that the pavilion’s four corners, crafted with facing phoenixes, were not looking upwards but were instead gazing down into the pavilion. He remarked, “Your great-granduncle was meticulous in his actions, not overlooking even the smallest detail.”

Chen Shaoxian nodded, “My great-granduncle wanted to ensure no detail was missed, that’s why he had the normally upward-looking phoenixes cast in this way.” The three men disembarked from the boat to enter the pavilion, noticing an additional column in the center, thicker at the bottom and tapering towards the top.

“Indeed, Bixi’s tail is here,” Chen Shaoxian said before suddenly cursing loudly as he moved to the other side, “Damn it.”

The other two hurried over to Chen Shaoxian’s side, only to see the bottom part of this side completely destroyed.

“This, this…” Liu Baodong stammered in shock.

Chen Shaoxian said indignantly, “This is too cruel, they’ve completely ruined the grand formation.”

Liu Baodong hesitated, “Is it really that bad? Can’t we just fix it?”

Chen Shaoxian shook his head regretfully, “It might have been possible earlier, but now it’s too late. The person behind this has gone too far, leaving us no way to start.”

Chen Shaoxian lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, “This person destroyed Bixi’s tail. The head will continue to absorb yang fire, constantly gathering it in the belly. Initially, it might not cause much impact, but as the yang fire accumulates, once it reaches its limit, it will backfire.

To put it in perspective, it was like a tire leaking air while being inflated. But now, it’s like a balloon that’s filled to the brim; even a small opening would cause it to burst. Although the contents inside would be damaged, they would still break free.

On the other hand, if left unattended until the critical moment, the contents inside would burst forth. To this person, the contents are like a chicken egg in incubation. The former scenario would be akin to pulling up sprouts to help them grow, causing the contents to be deficient by nature, which is clearly what the person behind this also wants. Yet, this person also considered that if his plan were to be disrupted, causing the contents to hatch prematurely and thus be deficient, so he made preparations, using the vital souls of seven people to nourish the contents. If undisturbed, these seven vital souls would also become a delicacy for the contents. A truly thorough plan indeed.”

He then sneered, “Hmph, but there’s still a lapse. Though this person has thought things through, his vision is still lacking. He focused all his attention on Bixi and overlooked the potential of Yin-Yang Taiji.”

Hearing this, Liu Baodong quickly asked, “Shaoxian, are you saying there’s still a way to remedy this?”

Chen Shaoxian replied, “Our first priority is to peel the Soul and Spirit of the individuals from the Stele, and then deal with this thing. Let’s go home and prepare our weapons.”

The three divided the tasks and each went home to gather their items, agreeing to meet at Chen Shaoxian’s house. Chen Shaoxian instructed Xiao Zhuang specifically to retrieve the favorite clothes of the people who had lost their Soul and Spirit. He asked their Mothers to sew on colored thread corresponding to each person’s clothes, ensuring to leave some space at the end of the clothes and to soak the thread in their tears. He also emphasized the need to find those soul-binding talismans.

When Chen Shaoxian got home, he prepared the required weapons, ate some food, set the alarm, and took a short nap. After a while, he felt someone pushing him and knew it was Liu Baodong, so he patted the space next to him, signaling Liu Baodong to rest as well. Liu Baodong didn’t hesitate and lay down next to him, soon falling asleep too.

Hearing the doorbell, Chen Shaoxian got up to open the door for Xiao Zhuang. He let Xiao Zhuang into the house, took his things to put aside, and led Xiao Zhuang to the guest room to rest and regain his strength. Then, he turned back to continue his sleep.

The alarm rang, and Chen Shaoxian got up to find Liu Baodong not by his side. He walked into the living room and saw Liu Baodong smoking and explaining the items he brought to Xiao Zhuang. Chen Shaoxian then washed his face in the bathroom, found some clothes by the bed, presumably brought by Liu Baodong, changed into them, and joined in, commenting, “Uncle Liu, that’s quite the haul. Did you move the entire household here? Does the old man know?”

Liu Baodong chuckled, “Hehe, I didn’t dare tell him. If Grandpa Liu knew, he’d probably roll his eyes in pain.”

Chen Shaoxian also brought out the items he had prepared and asked Liu Baodong to explain them to Xiao Zhuang while he went to order some food. Seeing Chen Shaoxian return, Xiao Zhuang opened his bag and handed it to Chen Shaoxian, saying, “Except for He Xin’s, everything else is here.”

Chen Shaoxian took the bag and saw the clothes wrapped in cling film, each marked with a name. He laid out the clothes in their respective positions. Soon, the food they ordered was delivered, and the three of them ate and chatted together.

After dinner and a short rest, Chen Shaoxian brought out three sets of clothes and three pairs of leg wraps, distributing one set to each person.

Xiao Zhuang received his clothes and noticed that the outer layer was made of coarse, thick, rough, and stiff hemp fabric with numerous pockets, each bulging with various items. The inner layer was made of leather. Between these two layers, at the chest, abdomen, and back, were hard protective shells. The high collar included a hood, which had slots on either side and a pancake-sized iron piece on top.

Thick double-layered shoulder pads were situated on the shoulders, and there were two slots at the shoulder blades, likely meant for inserting swords or knives. The garment emitted a sandalwood scent mixed with other fragrances, which was quite refreshing.

The material of the leg wraps was the same as the garment. Though called leg wraps, they resembled trousers, fitting around the waist and extending down to the ankles, offering protection for the groin, thighs, knees, calves, and ankles. There was a pouch on the outer side of the calf for inserting a dagger. Chen Shaoxian explained to Xiao Zhuang, “This set of clothing is called Tianma Armor, and it has many benefits.”

Xiao Zhuang nodded without asking further questions and dressed according to Chen Shaoxian’s instructions.

Chen Shaoxian obtained three talismans from the shrine of the founding master, hanging one on each person’s chest.

Once fully equipped, the three picked up their bags, went downstairs, got into the car, and set off.

Footnote:

1. Taiji(太极):“Taiji” or “Tai Chi” is a Chinese philosophical concept that signifies the ultimate source and limit of reality, from which all things arise.  It is also a martial art practiced for its health benefits and meditative qualities.