The Mystical Feng Shui Files - Chapter 13 - A Fated Calamity is Heaven's Decree, Yama1 Will Not Wait, and the Living World Will Not Retain

Shi Dan’s mother was truly a master in the kitchen; the aroma alone was enough to awaken my cravings. But with someone at the door, I had to suppress my hunger and approach the guest. “Welcome, are you here for a ritual instrument or something else?”

In our line of work, it’s best not to directly ask if someone is here for a yin house consultation or exorcism. If they’re merely here for a face reading or divination, such questions could lead to misunderstandings.

The visitor was a man in his forties, wearing black-rimmed glasses, a white shirt, gray trousers, and black leather shoes. He had a scholarly air, reminiscent of a teacher.

Upon seeing me, the man smiled slightly and said, “I was referred here by someone. I have some matters I’d like to discuss with Master Wu. Is he available?”

“Please, have a seat!” I gestured for him to sit inside while discreetly assessing his features. The man had a fair complexion and, despite being over forty, he looked quite refined. However, his Yintang² was somewhat darkened, suggesting either family troubles or personal misfortune.

Typically, people like him come for divination or feng shui consultations.

“Please sit down. Could you tell me what the matter is, and I’ll inform my master?” I offered him a cup of water.

The man seemed a bit skeptical due to my youth, but after a moment’s hesitation, he spoke, “I’ve been facing some issues lately. I’d like Master Wu to help me understand what’s going on.”

I nodded, “Alright, I’ll let him know. Please wait a moment.”

As I went to find my master, I glanced at the dishes Shi Dan’s mother had prepared-just two dishes, a fish and a plate of stir-fried greens.

My master came down from upstairs, having already showered and changed. He instructed me, “Go, buy half a salted duck and two mock roasted geese.”

“Okay!” I replied, “Master, there’s a gentleman outside looking for you. He mentioned he’s been encountering some issues and would like your assistance.”

My master acknowledged with a nod and went out.

Shi Dan, sweating profusely, ran over, “Brother!”

“Come on, let’s go buy the salted duck!” I pulled him along through the back door.

Upon returning, I noticed a large bowl of soup on the table. I plated the salted duck and mock roasted geese and set them on the table.

“Auntie!” I called out to Shi Dan’s mother, who was still busy in the kitchen, “Is it time to eat?”

Shi Dan’s mother seemed delighted; she had been working non-stop since arriving. “Yes, it’s ready! I’ll tidy up here and join you. Go ahead and call your master to eat first.”

“Alright!” I flicked Shi Dan’s forehead playfully and headed to the front.

The gentleman who had arrived earlier had already left, and my master was sitting at the table, examining a piece of paper.

I approached, “Master, it’s time to eat!”

“Okay!” My master put the paper away, “Let’s eat!”

The meal was a joyous affair.

Shi Dan couldn’t stop smiling; it was as if he was eating such a sumptuous meal for the first time, his face nearly buried in the food. His mother had to pat him several times.

After the meal, Shi Dan’s mother cleared the table, and my master called me over, handing me the paper.

“This is the gentleman’s four pillars of destiny³ and name. Take a look, can you discern anything?”

I glanced at the paper, calculated with my fingers for a moment, and said, “This person is in his zodiac year, offending Tai Sui⁴, and his fate indicates a calamity involving bloodshed this month! Plus, his name is Hu Tieming, and with an abundance of metal in his five elements⁵, yet being a wood life…”

At this point, I was startled and instinctively looked at my master.

“Continue,” my master said without looking at me.

“He will die… die an untimely death, likely due to a sharp object or a car accident!” Even saying it made my heart race with fear.

When I first looked at his face, his Yintang was only slightly dark, not showing any signs of an imminent fated calamity. How could this be?

“How can it be resolved?” my master asked again.

Whenever someone came, my master would often ask me this, to test my skills and see how much I had learned.

I took a deep breath to steady myself and replied, “Wear jade to ward off disaster, preferably a Guanyin⁶ peace amulet blessed by a master! If not, staying in a temple or Taoist temple for a while to absorb some incense smoke can help.”

“And if it’s a fated calamity?” my master asked.

My master had never asked this before but had told me once.

A fated calamity is Heaven’s decree, Yama will not wait, and the living world will not retain.

This means that if a person’s lifespan has reached its end, no matter what you try, it won’t work unless someone can defy fate.

But in this world, from the moment a person is born, their four pillars of destiny have already laid out their entire life. No one has the power to deceive the heavens and change fate.

Even if books write about it or TV shows depict it, it’s all fiction and deception.

I took another deep breath, closed my eyes, and said, “If it’s a fated calamity, then one must resign to fate.”

I waited for a while, but my master said nothing, so I opened my eyes.

My master was staring into space, seemingly lost in thought.

“Master?” I called softly.

My master snapped back to reality and said, “The matters this person is encountering are quite strange. Moreover, if you look at his four pillars of destiny, although it shows a calamity involving bloodshed due to the clash of metal and wood, it is not necessarily a fatal calamity.” I delved deeper into the calculations, and indeed, as my master said, there was a glimmer of hope hidden within his fated calamity.

This sliver of hope was deeply concealed, and if not for my master’s reminder, I might have overlooked it.

“This task is yours,” my master said.

“Huh?” I was taken aback. “You mean I should handle it myself?”

“What? After all this time with me, you can’t handle this?”

“No, no!” I quickly replied, “I just feel it’s quite sudden.”

“Good, then. Go find him tomorrow night. Here’s his phone number and address.” My master handed me another piece of paper.

On it was a string of numbers and an address.

I saw that the address was at Jiang Normal University.

No wonder he had such a scholarly aura; he really was a teacher!

That evening, I helped Shi Dan and his mother with new bedding and bamboo mats.

Oh, I now know his mother’s name is Liu Cuihua-a rather distinctive name, so I just call her Aunt Liu.

“Bro!” Shi Dan called me.

He insisted on sharing a room with me. My room was upstairs, opposite my master’s room, while Aunt Liu’s room was downstairs.

“Aren’t you afraid to sleep with me?” I asked him, as I had added a bamboo bed next to the black coffin where I slept.

“Not afraid! My mom told me your line of work has many rules, so I shouldn’t pry! I just want to chat with you! Hehe…” Shi Dan chuckled, occasionally glancing at the black coffin, looking quite amused.

“What do you want to talk about?” I turned off the light and lay in the coffin, chatting with Shi Dan in the dark.

“Did you and Master Wu not charge any money when you went to Stone Village?”

I was a bit surprised that Shi Dan knew about this, so I laughed, “How do you know we charge money?”

“I heard it from the village head!” Shi Dan’s eyes were bright in the dark. “Did you forget to ask for it? Didn’t you go there for nothing?”

I told him, “Not exactly! In our line of work, some people we wouldn’t help no matter how much they pay, and some we might help even if they don’t pay. It all depends on fate.”

“Fate?” Shi Dan seemed a bit confused. “What about this time?”

I recalled the events in Stone Village and said, “This time was special. Even if the village head offered money, we wouldn’t take it.”

Because that money was a karmic debt, and taking it would make us accomplices, which would harm our yin virtue.

Footnote:

1. Yama(阎王):In Chinese mythology, the lord of the underworld and judge of the dead, representing the inevitability of death.
2. Yintang(印堂):In Chinese physiognomy, the space between the eyebrows. Its condition is believed to reflect a person’s health and fortune; a darkened Yintang often signifies illness or misfortune.
3. Four Pillars of Destiny(生辰八字): A traditional Chinese astrological concept using a person’s birth year, month, day, and hour for fortune-telling.
4. Tai Sui(太岁):In Chinese astrology, a celestial deity. “Offending Tai Sui” means one’s zodiac sign conflicts with the current year’s Tai Sui, believed to bring bad luck or challenges.
5. Five Elements(五行):In Chinese philosophy, these are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. They are fundamental forces believed to constitute everything in the universe and interact in cycles of creation and destruction, used in various practices like TCM, feng shui, and fortune-telling.
6. Guanyin(观音):A highly revered Bodhisattva in East Asian Buddhism, often known as the Goddess of Mercy or Compassion. She is associated with protection, peace, and salvation.