The Mystical Feng Shui Files

I recognized the man immediately. He was the one I saw last night, talking with Shi Zhu on the remote mountain.

Being young and inexperienced, I hadn’t yet mastered the art of concealing my emotions. A cold glint flickered in my eyes as I stared at him.

I didn’t say a word. Shi Dan, clearly nervous, spoke up, “Uncle, are you heading up the mountain?”

“Don’t wander up there for no reason. Watch out for snakes!” The man kept his eyes fixed on me, his gaze sharp and probing. My fists clenched instinctively, but Shi Dan tugged at my arm and started pulling me downhill.

“Got it! We’re leaving now!” Shi Dan shouted back without turning around. Then, in a hushed tone, he whispered to me, “Brother, let’s hurry! If he figures out what we were doing, we’re in trouble!”

We didn’t stop running until we reached the front of Shi Dan’s house. Panting heavily, we turned to look back at the empty path behind us.

“Brother, do you think he’ll realize we went to check the spot where they buried the stuff?” Shi Dan’s voice trembled with worry.

I reassured him, “You go back inside and stay put. I’ll go find my master. He’ll know what to do!”

“Alright, but you be careful too!” Shi Dan urged me, his concern evident.

After we parted ways, I jogged back to the village head’s house.

To my surprise, neither the village head nor my master was there. The village head’s wife was busy working in the vegetable garden.

I approached her. “Auntie, where’s my master and the village head?”

She didn’t respond, simply plucking vegetables and placing them into a basket before heading out of the garden.

Frustrated by her silence, I followed her to the front of the house. “Auntie, I have something urgent to discuss. Can you tell me where my master went?”

Still, she ignored me, carrying the vegetables over to the water pipe to wash them.

My impatience grew, but I held back my anger, reminding myself that I was a guest in their home. Losing my temper wouldn’t be appropriate.

I glanced around the village, scanning for any signs of movement. The eerie silence had returned, just like when we first arrived yesterday.

Suddenly, a thought struck me. Last night, I had seen the village head’s wife heading up the mountain to burn joss paper. A plan began to form in my mind.

I turned back and walked over to where she was washing vegetables.

She seemed uneasy as I stood there silently, her hands pausing momentarily before she resumed rinsing the greens.

“I saw you,” I said, breaking the silence. “I saw what happened that night. They buried that woman alive, and you went up there to burn joss paper for her.”

Her entire body stiffened. She froze mid-motion, then slowly raised her head to look at me. Her eyes were a whirlwind of emotions-shock, fear, confusion, and unease.

“Auntie, you know why we’re here. If you know something, you can tell me,” I pressed gently, trying to coax her into opening up.

Her eyes reddened slightly, and she quickly lowered her head again. Her hands moved frantically, rinsing the vegetables at an almost frantic pace. Then, she grabbed the basket and hurried into the kitchen.

Disappointment washed over me, but her reaction gave me a glimmer of hope. She definitely knew something. She just didn’t want to say it-or perhaps, she was too afraid to.

“Auntie, I’ll leave you to your work. I’m going to find my master,” I said after waiting a moment. Seeing that she remained silent and focused on her tasks, I turned and started to walk away.

“Leave the village. Quickly.”

Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, but it stopped me in my tracks. I spun around to look at her. She was hunched over, chopping vegetables as if nothing had happened, as if her words were just a figment of my imagination.

But I had heard her. She had spoken. She had told me to leave the village-urgently.

A deep sense of unease surged within me as I bolted out of the house. Shi Dan was standing in his courtyard, keeping an eye on the outside. When he saw me running over, he quickly opened the door.

“Brother, where are you going?”

“I’m going to find my master!”

“I’m coming with you!”

“You-”

“Ziwu! Running around in such a panic-where are your manners?” My master’s voice came from behind, startling me.

I spun around quickly and saw the village head walking beside my master, smiling warmly. “I was just showing your master around the village.”

“Oh!” I immediately straightened up and stood properly. I stole a glance at my master, who was watching me with furrowed brows and a flicker of anger in his eyes.

My heart sank. “Master, I came back and didn’t see you, so I thought-”

“Enough! Go back!” My master cut me off and walked past me.

The village head followed, giving me a reassuring smile and gesturing for me not to worry.

Shi Dan and I exchanged a look. He whispered, “Brother, did you see where they came from?”

“Do I have eyes on the back of my head?” I snapped.

Shi Dan lowered his voice even more. “I saw them coming down from the mountain!”

The mountain again. Anyone else might not notice, but my master-he would definitely have picked up on something.

“Enough talking. I’m heading back. You stay put and don’t wander around!” I instructed him before jogging off.

When I returned to the village head’s house, he and my master were sitting at the table, sipping tea and discussing village matters.

I half-listened as I collected the clothes drying outside, moving slowly. After folding and putting them away, I lingered in my room for a while before stepping out.

“Come, have a seat!” The village head beckoned me over.

I glanced at my master. He nodded, so I walked over and sat down.

“Master, you’ve trained your disciple well!” the village head praised, picking up a teacup and offering to pour me some tea.

I quickly took it from him. “Let me do it!”

I poured tea for my master and the village head first, then filled my own cup. I drank it in one gulp, only to realize how dry and parched my throat felt.

“You see, this little village of mine, just a handful of households left. More and more people are leaving, and those who have the means never come back. Who knows, one day it might just be empty!” The village head sighed.

My master nodded but didn’t respond to his lament. Instead, he asked, “When someone in your village passes away, are they all buried on the mountain? No cremation?”

“This place is too remote. Years ago, someone from the county came to promote cremation, but the elders insisted on burial brings peace to the deceased. No one was willing to change. Besides, even if someone dies and is buried, no one really comes to check or enforce anything.”

So basically, “The mountains are high, and the emperor is far away,” meaning they could do whatever they pleased without interference.

I felt a twinge of disdain and wanted to scoff, but one glance at my master made me hold it in.

I had so much on my mind and desperately wanted to find a chance to talk to my master, but the village head stayed by his side the entire time, leaving me no opportunity.

Perhaps sensing my restlessness, my master frowned and said, “Sit properly. What kind of posture is that?”

I immediately straightened up.

The village head chuckled. “No need to be so strict. Young people can’t sit still for long-it’s normal!”

I didn’t dare respond, biting my lip and staring at my teacup.

After a moment, my master said, “After lunch, please inform the villagers to stay indoors tonight. I’ll be performing an exorcism.”

The village head’s face lit up with excitement. “Of course, of course! I’ll take care of it. This afternoon, Master, you can rest here as much as you like!”

When lunch was ready, the village head’s wife brought out dish after dish. She glanced at me, hesitating as if she wanted to say something.

“Ahem!” The village head cleared his throat, and she quickly lowered her head and hurried away.

I looked at the village head, who smiled at me. “Come on, eat up, eat up!”

After the meal, the village head left to notify the villagers.

I followed my master into the room and immediately grabbed his arm. “Master, I need to tell you something-”

I recounted everything I had seen during my soul separation, leaving nothing out. I also told him about the clothes Shi Dan and I had found buried in the bamboo forest.

“Master, if those clothes aren’t burned, something terrible is bound to happen!”

“It’s fine. They’ll be useful later,” my master replied calmly.

I stared at him, baffled. How could he remain so composed after hearing all this?

“Master, they’re murderers!” I blurted out in frustration. “They’re trafficking women! And…” I hesitated, embarrassed to mention the other unspeakable acts. “And the village head’s wife secretly burned joss paper for that woman. She must know something…”