Chapter 43 – The Three Masters’ Consultation

Standing at the entrance was Master Bai Luan from Tiande Culture. At this moment, he could no longer maintain his usual air of superiority. Instead, he was bowing humbly as he spoke to an old man beside him. The old man was unremarkable in appearance, short and hunched, but his name was well-known throughout the Feng Shui circles of Shanxi Province—Master Guo Hongtu, the founder of Tiande Culture and the most prominent Feng Shui master in the region.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, both men looked up simultaneously. When Bai Luan saw Wei Yang, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he quickly averted his gaze. Guo Hongtu, on the other hand, calmly scrutinized the two young men before speaking in a measured tone, “Director Sun, our capabilities at Tiande are limited. Since you’ve already invited more skilled masters, we should take our leave.”

Director Sun frowned at this. Master Guo had been personally invited by him and was a guest of Secretary Meng. Faced with such a guest, Director Sun couldn’t very well assert his authority, so he softened his tone and said, “Master Guo, please don’t take offense. The reason my father-in-law and I have invited several masters is simply to pool our resources and resolve this matter as quickly as possible. There’s no other intention behind it.”

Guo Hongtu, however, didn’t take the bait. His thin, aged face wore a faint, ambiguous smile. “Director Sun, since you’ve invited me, I naturally want to help. However, each field has its own expertise. What Tiande specializes in is altering Feng Shui and enhancing fortune. We’re not particularly skilled in suppressing evil. The small formation we set up can only temporarily suppress the evil aura on Mr. Wang. As for the root cause, I’m afraid we can’t eliminate it. That will require the expertise of other masters.”

It was only then that Wei Yang noticed a formation of copper coins strung with red thread surrounding the hospital bed. The coins looked to be of good quality, and based on what he had recently learned, the formation was genuine. It seemed that regardless of Master Guo’s actual skill level, he did have some knowledge.

However, no matter how much he knew, Master Guo likely didn’t have good intentions. There were plenty of ways to decline such a dangerous job, so why wait until they arrived to bring it up? If Jieshui Studio later failed to eliminate the evil entity, the accusations of overestimating their abilities and arrogance would be firmly placed on them, tarnishing their reputation in the Feng Shui community. The old man was clearly trying to sabotage them on his way out, likely due to his relationship with his disciple.

But Wei Yang was no ordinary con artist. He wasn’t about to let Master Guo succeed. He shook his head at Director Sun and said, “Master Guo is your esteemed guest, but we were essentially ‘invited’ here for an investigation. We’re completely in the dark about the details, not to mention your identity. How can we possibly take on this job? We appreciate your high regard, but this matter should be entrusted to someone else.”

As he spoke, Wei Yang subtly gripped Zhang Xiuqi’s arm. He wasn’t worried about Director Sun getting angry, but he was concerned that his Little Celestial Master might lose control and try to eliminate the evil. Since they were already here, they couldn’t leave, so they had to assert themselves and avoid being seen as easy targets.

Master Guo’s refusal to cooperate was something Director Sun could tolerate, but now these two youngsters were also trying to back out, and his expression darkened. Bai Luan, who had been hiding in the corner, noticed Director Sun’s rising anger and couldn’t resist fanning the flames. “Director Sun is the head of the Shanxi Provincial Public Security Department. Even if you haven’t met him in person, Master Wei, you must have seen him on the local news, right?”

Wei Yang had, of course, seen him. In fact, when the police had come to his door, he had already figured out the identity of the old man Ye from the exchange meeting, which made it easy to guess the identity of this son-in-law. However, he had no intention of engaging with Master Bai. He simply remained silent, waiting for Director Sun to make his stance clear.

Director Sun’s expression shifted uncertainly. The main reason he had sought out Jieshui Studio was because his father-in-law had mentioned the unpleasant incident at the exchange meeting, where these two young men had claimed the Iron Buddha was problematic. However, the Iron Buddha had been in their home for quite some time, so how could it suddenly become some kind of evil object? The person who had said this must have had ulterior motives. But as luck would have it, before he could even return home, Xiao Wang had already started experiencing episodes of hysteria, and shortly after, his father-in-law also began acting strangely. This led the seasoned investigator to wonder if the Iron Buddha was indeed the problem.

However, he wasn’t sure whether these two youngsters had just stumbled upon the truth by chance or if they truly had extraordinary abilities that allowed them to detect what others couldn’t. So, after inviting a renowned master, Director Sun couldn’t resist sending people to block their door, wanting to personally assess their capabilities. But before he could even speak, this brat had already thrown a wrench in his plans, leaving him in an awkward position.

Finally, Director Sun let out a cold snort. “I see that Master Wei already knows why you’ve been invited, doesn’t he? Your Jieshui Studio is nothing more than…”

Before he could finish, a voice came from a corner of the room. “Jieshui Studio… aren’t these friends from Longhu Mountain?”

The voice was extremely hoarse, like dried-up twigs, rough and parched, as if the speaker was on the verge of death. Wei Yang looked up and saw a monk in gray robes. He didn’t appear to be very old, younger than Master Guo, but his aura was dark and heavy, and his eyes were dull, covered with a milky film, as if he was blind.

Wei Yang’s observational skills were top-notch. He had noticed the monk when they entered the room, but for some reason, he had acted as if he hadn’t seen him. Now that the monk had spoken, he suddenly remembered his presence. Such profound skill in concealing one’s aura, combined with the ability to detect the Little Celestial Master despite being blind, proved that this monk was no ordinary person—he was likely a master of great skill.

However, Wei Yang didn’t show his surprise. This was a perfect opportunity, and he wasn’t about to let it slip. He calmly nodded at the monk and said, “You’re correct, Master. My senior brother is a direct disciple of Longhu Mountain and recently arrived at Jieshui Studio. May I ask for your honorific name?”

The monk waved his hand lightly. “I dare not claim such a title. This humble monk is Chizhi.”

He didn’t mention his origins, maintaining an air of modesty. However, Wei Yang’s heart raced. The “Chi” generation—wasn’t that the same generation as the abbot of Xuanzhao Temple? Director Sun’s connections ran deep. He had even managed to invite such a venerable monk.

Perhaps due to the widespread rumors surrounding the “8341” incident, many high-ranking officials in post-revolutionary China had developed a strong belief in Buddhism. Later, this trend spread to the business world, and the first incense offering at temples during the New Year became a highly sought-after symbol of status. In this province, there weren’t many Buddhist temples, and even fewer renowned ones, but Xuanzhao Temple’s incense offerings had always been prosperous, largely due to its reputation among officials for being efficacious. In the metaphysical circles, its status likely surpassed even that of Tiande Culture. Masters from such temples weren’t the kind of people one could easily associate with.

Sure enough, just by exchanging a few words with the monk, both Master Guo and Director Sun’s expressions changed. What was Longhu Mountain? It was the ancestral seat of the Celestial Masters of the Zhengyi Dao, established by Zhang Daoling during the Han Dynasty. With a history of nearly two thousand years and the reverence and titles bestowed by successive dynasties, each Celestial Master held the rank of a first-grade official, reaching the pinnacle of power. When it came to Celestial Masters, regardless of how the common folk might portray them, the Zhang Celestial Masters of Longhu Mountain were undeniably the most authoritative. In the realm of suppressing evil and exorcising malevolent forces, only the Mao Mountain Sect could barely compete, while other minor sects were nothing more than chickens and dogs, unworthy of mention.

Now that such an identity had been revealed, how could people not be both shocked and delighted? The shock was naturally felt by Master Guo, who had just tried to trip them up, while the delight was undoubtedly experienced by Director Sun, who had been plagued by worries. The director, after all, was a seasoned official from the legal and political frontlines. Upon hearing Monk Chizhi’s words, he immediately changed his tone with remarkable ease. “I didn’t realize Jieshui Studio had such hidden talents. I underestimated you two. Given the urgency of the situation, I may have been a bit rude earlier. Please don’t take offense, Masters.”

With Director Sun’s change in attitude, it was clear to everyone where the wind was blowing. Master Guo’s face twisted even more, and he coughed lightly, as if trying to assert his presence. But who would pay him any attention now? Wei Yang smiled slightly and replied to Director Sun, “With the venerable monk from Xuanzhao Temple here, we probably won’t be of much help. Director Sun, what do you think…”

Just moments ago, Director Sun had been displeased when the young con artist mentioned leaving. Now, hearing him hesitate again, Director Sun’s heart was filled with nothing but anxiety. He quickly interjected, “Nonsense! Longhu Mountain is the authority in this field. It’s best if you stay and help analyze the situation… ahem, analyze the matter. And as for Xiao Wang…”

He gestured toward the man tied to the bed, hesitating slightly as he spoke. “The hysteria came on so suddenly, we…”

“It’s not hysteria. It’s possession,” Zhang Xiuqi finally spoke. Since entering the room, his eyes had remained fixed on the man on the bed, not sparing a glance for anyone else. His words were blunt and to the point.

The moment he spoke, everyone’s attention turned to the man on the bed. Tied to the bed was Wang Ming, the subordinate who had followed Elder Ye around. But now, he had lost all his former arrogance. Instead, he lay motionless, as if dead. Surrounding the bed was a formation of copper coins, with a chicken throat bone placed at the head of the bed. On his twisted and distorted forehead was a Sanskrit symbol, which also seemed significant. Despite the numerous objects arrayed around him, Wang Ming’s body was still bound with the kind of wide straps used to restrain mental patients, and his hands and feet were tightly cuffed. It seemed no measure had been spared.

“Possession?” Director Sun tried to keep his expression neutral, but his voice betrayed his unease. “You mean something like being possessed by a ghost or evil spirit?”

Since Wang Ming’s sudden illness, Director Sun had been thoroughly exposed to the world of the supernatural and had heard plenty from Master Guo about hysteria and possession. In psychiatry, hysteria refers to a sudden stress reaction, where patients may exhibit excitement, mania, sluggishness, or regressive behavior. The mechanism behind it remains unclear. However, in folk beliefs, this illness is easily explained: it’s caused by being possessed by an evil spirit or malevolent entity. Usually, a capable shaman or Taoist priest can perform an exorcism to cure it. Master Guo, being experienced, had recognized Wang Ming’s condition as possession as soon as he saw him.

But Zhang Xiuqi didn’t agree. He shook his head slightly, drew a dagger from his waist, and walked to the bedside. With a light flick of his finger against the blade, a soft chime rang out. The sound of metal being tapped with a finger isn’t particularly loud, but the moment the chime sounded, Wang Ming, who had been unconscious, suddenly rolled his eyes back and let out a guttural howl. As he howled, several of the copper coins on the floor sprang into the air, and the chicken throat bone at the head of the bed tumbled to the ground. Bai Luan, standing by the bed, turned pale and stumbled back, nearly falling to the floor.

Zhang Xiuqi, however, remained unfazed. He took a step back, ignoring the now-frenzied patient, and calmly sheathed his dagger. He repeated, “Possession. The root isn’t here.”

Wei Yang’s legs nearly gave out from fear. He had seen the Three Corpses worms before, but those were just bugs. This was more like something out of The Exorcist. For a moment, he was at a loss for words. Monk Chizhi, however, being more experienced, nodded. “So that’s it. No wonder this humble monk couldn’t drive out the evil from Benefactor Wang. The evil isn’t here. It’s just that an evil entity is trying to possess him and take over his consciousness. No wonder Benefactor Ye’s household has been plagued by disturbances.”

The monk’s voice was as unsettling as his appearance, far from the serene and profound image one might expect from a monk. His milky, cataract-covered eyes made him look more like a character from a horror movie. Wei Yang clenched his teeth, trying to keep his voice steady. “It seems that to eliminate this evil, we’ll need to get to the root of it. Since Director Sun wants us to get involved, perhaps we should find a place to discuss the details, so we can understand the full story.”

Despite having weathered many storms, Director Sun’s expression was still tense. He glanced hesitantly at the scattered copper coins on the floor and the patient on the bed, who seemed to be regaining consciousness. “But here…”

“Oh,” Wei Yang said, as if he had just noticed the mess. He took out a string of red-threaded copper coins from his bag and carefully arranged them around the bed. The moment the last coin was placed, Wang Ming’s agitation subsided, and he fell back into a deep sleep. It was nothing short of miraculous.

Director Sun’s heart finally settled, and his attitude softened further. “Thank you, Master Wei. My father-in-law is also staying here. He’s the one who knows the most about this matter. Why don’t you two and Monk Chizhi go to his room to discuss the details and also help calm his nerves…”

At this point, he seemed to remember Master Guo and turned to him with a neutral expression. “Since Master Guo has said as much, I’ll have someone escort you back to Tiande. Thank you for coming.”

After this perfunctory dismissal, he turned his attention back to the truly useful “masters.” Guo Hongtu, no matter how thick-skinned, couldn’t stay any longer. He shot a glare at his hapless disciple, who was still leaning against the wall, and without a word, quietly left the room.

Wei Yang smiled faintly and finally nodded at Director Sun, leading Zhang Xiuqi out of the hospital room side by side.