Chapter 122 – The Variable

The next day, Wei Yang was awakened by the sound of something scratching at the door. It seemed like something was persistently clawing at the sliding door to the balcony. Struggling to open his eyes, he remembered that he had locked the balcony door the previous night for “convenience.” It was probably Master Turtle wanting to go for his morning stroll and throwing a fit after finding the door locked.

However, as soon as he opened his eyes, he was startled again. The sunlight outside was already bright, and he had no idea what time it was. Mr. Zeng had instructed them to follow him out yesterday, and it would be disastrous if they were late. The drowsiness vanished instantly, and Wei Yang turned over, wanting to get out of bed. But then, a hand reached out and wrapped around his waist, pulling him into an embrace.

This action immediately brought a smile to Wei Yang’s face. It seemed he wasn’t the only one who had overslept. Lazily turning around, he smiled at the person beside him and asked, “Brother Qi, it’s already bright outside. Aren’t you getting up?”

Zhang Xiuqi didn’t respond. Instead, he leaned in and kissed Wei Yang’s lips. Both of them were still completely naked, their warm skin pressed tightly together, and the morning arousal began to heat up and harden. However, the kiss didn’t last long. Wei Yang struggled to break free, licking Zhang Xiuqi’s lips in a soothing manner, and said with a bitter smile, “If we don’t open the door soon, Master Turtle is probably going to smash it. Also, Mr. Zeng said we need to go out today…”

His tone was full of reluctance, but the mention of “Mr. Zeng” snapped Zhang Xiuqi back to reality, reminding him of his uncle’s instructions. His arm stiffened slightly, and he let go. Wei Yang didn’t notice this momentary tension and got up to open the door for Master Turtle. Watching Wei Yang’s completely naked body, Zhang Xiuqi’s eyes darkened slightly. He took a deep breath, sat up, and pulled out his crumpled pajamas from the blanket, putting them on.

By the time Wei Yang opened the balcony door and went to grab his clothes, Zhang Xiuqi had already opened the bedroom door, intending to go to the bathroom to wash up. However, as soon as he stepped out, he saw that breakfast had already been set on the dining table, and his uncle was sitting there, seemingly waiting for them to come out. Zhang Xiuqi paused for a moment, then, as if making up his mind, walked over to him.

Looking at the wrinkled pajamas, Zeng Jingxuan’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he asked, “Did you oversleep?”

Zhang Xiuqi nodded, his face expressionless, but his body language was stiff. Zeng Jingxuan, who had raised him for twenty years, knew exactly what this meant. It seemed that none of the things he had said yesterday had any effect. However, thinking about it, when two young people are in love, it’s no wonder that parental advice falls on deaf ears.

Shaking his head, he said lightly, “We’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow. Don’t let this happen again.”

Zhang Xiuqi was surprised that his uncle would let it go so easily. He quickly nodded in agreement. Seeing his serious expression, Zeng Jingxuan raised an eyebrow in surprise. He suddenly noticed that the anxiety that had been wrapped around Zhang Xiuqi had disappeared, replaced by something more steady and firm, as if he had grown up overnight. Perhaps this sense of responsibility and determination to protect was what truly made a man grow up.

This change wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Zeng Jingxuan nodded and said, “Go wash up first. We’ll head out after breakfast.”

Having inexplicably passed this hurdle, Zhang Xiuqi felt somewhat relieved and walked back the way he came. However, before he could push open the bathroom door, he saw Wei Yang peeking out from the bedroom, eavesdropping. Noticing Zhang Xiuqi’s gaze, Wei Yang made a face, as if asking, “Everything okay?”

Zhang Xiuqi couldn’t help but smile and gave him a smile in return. Without saying anything, he pushed open the bathroom door and went in. Wei Yang’s heart skipped a beat at that smile. He finally realized that it seemed to mean “the situation is resolved.” After checking his attire to make sure everything was in order, he followed behind Master Turtle and walked out of the bedroom, greeting Mr. Zeng with a calm expression, “Mr. Zeng, sorry for oversleeping. Thanks for getting breakfast…”

His demeanor was very natural, but Zeng Jingxuan looked at him even more intently than he had at Zhang Xiuqi. After a while, he suddenly stood up and walked over to Wei Yang, saying directly, “Give me your hand.”

Completely baffled, Wei Yang obediently extended his hand. Zeng Jingxuan placed his fingers on Wei Yang’s wrist and felt his pulse for a while before frowning and saying, “I didn’t expect…”

“Ahem, Mr. Zeng, is there something wrong?” Wei Yang was genuinely nervous. Being caught by the uncle of the person he had just slept with would make anyone feel uneasy. However, Mr. Zeng’s expression didn’t seem to be one of blame.

Zeng Jingxuan shook his head and released his wrist, saying, “Your vitality has recovered quite well. If nothing unexpected happens, you should be able to try drawing talismans this afternoon.”

“Huh?” Wei Yang was momentarily stunned. What was going on?

However, Zeng Jingxuan’s expression became somewhat strange. The art of dual cultivation had always been a secret skill of Daoism, but he hadn’t expected that the bloodline of the Wu family would naturally produce a similar effect. However, this was something he couldn’t explain, nor did he want to think too deeply about how these two youngsters had “dual cultivated.” After a moment of hesitation, he simply coughed lightly and said, “True yang also has the effect of replenishing qi and strengthening the body, but… don’t overdo it. Alright, go wash up.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked into the study. Wei Yang stood there for a while before suddenly realizing what Mr. Zeng had meant. “True yang” was probably referring to… ahem… and he hadn’t wasted much of it yesterday…

Even with a face as thick as a city wall, Wei Yang couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. He scurried into the bathroom with his head down. Zhang Xiuqi had already finished washing his face and was brushing his teeth diligently. Seeing Wei Yang’s expression, he stopped and frowned, looking at him.

Wei Yang didn’t look at him. Instead, he turned on the faucet, splashed some cold water on his face, and waited for the heat to subside before looking up at Zhang Xiuqi and asking, “So, our uncle seems to have given us the green light?”

The term “our uncle” made Zhang Xiuqi pause for a moment, but he didn’t object. Seeing this, Wei Yang grinned. Ignoring the water on his face and the toothpaste foam in Zhang Xiuqi’s mouth, he leaned in and planted a kiss on Zhang Xiuqi’s lips, winking as he said, “It seems like things are going well. Let’s just put in a bit more effort, and we’ll take care of those bastards.”

His tone was filled with an irrepressible enthusiasm, as if he wasn’t facing a potentially life-threatening danger. Zhang Xiuqi couldn’t help but smile as well. There were still shadows and anxiety in his heart, as well as anger driven by fear, but for the sake of the person beside him, he wouldn’t act impulsively or give up easily. He would fight to survive and stay with Wei Yang.

Ignoring the foam in his mouth, Zhang Xiuqi leaned in and kissed him deeply.

Half an hour later, after finishing breakfast, the three of them set off with Zeng Jingxuan. Their destination was none other than the city’s train station. After driving for about an hour, they arrived at a hotel near the train station. Zeng Jingxuan got out of the car and led the two of them to a room on the 12th floor, where he knocked on the door.

Less than two minutes later, the door opened, revealing a middle-aged man with a chubby face and a waistline that was at least three and a half feet wide. However, this man, who didn’t look like a good person at all, immediately broke into a smile when he saw Zeng Jingxuan and hooked his arm around Zeng Jingxuan’s neck, pulling him inside, “You brat, always pulling this kind of stunt! Do you know how hard it was for me to switch from the high-speed rail to the train?”

Zeng Jingxuan chuckled, “If it weren’t for you and Yunyi, I wouldn’t dare to trouble you like this.”

As he spoke, another woman walked out of the room. She was thin and appeared to be in her forties. Perhaps because she was so thin, her face looked somewhat aged, with a faint trace of bitterness. However, her eyes were clear and sharp, leaving a lasting impression.

Not expecting to meet someone, Wei Yang and Zhang Xiuqi were both momentarily stunned. Zeng Jingxuan turned to them and introduced, “This lady is Lai Yunyi, the heir of the Lai family from Sanliao. The fat guy next to her is her husband, Li Tiange, also from a Sanliao family, but he’s not very accomplished—he’s a Taobao shop owner. They’re both my childhood friends, so don’t be shy.”

This introduction immediately made Li Tiange protest, “What do you mean, Taobao shop owner? It’s online retail, got it? The feng shui business isn’t doing so well these days, and there aren’t many shops like mine.”

Lai Yunyi ignored her husband’s complaints and stared at Zhang Xiuqi for a while before saying quietly, “This is Sister Yun’s son? He really did regain his heavenly soul.”

“Yes, it was a stroke of luck,” Zeng Jingxuan nodded with a smile. “So, how’s their fortune looking?”

Sanliao Village was originally dominated by six major families, all direct descendants of Master Yang Yun Song. The Lai family was an exception. Their ancestor, Lai Buyi, was a disciple of Zeng Wendeng and wasn’t counted among the six families, but his fame surpassed any of them. It was said that this “Prophet of the Mountains” served as the National Teacher during the Song Dynasty but was later framed by Qin Hui. He traveled throughout the country, leaving behind many legends. He was a true master of feng shui and a polymath. However, his feng shui skills didn’t get passed down much. Instead, he left behind many divination techniques and is considered the founder of the popular “Ma Yi Physiognomy.” As a result, the descendants of the Lai family mostly specialized in physiognomy.

Being the heir of the Lai family, Lai Yunyi’s skills were naturally top-notch. After just a glance at the two of them, she nodded, “One is pure yang, the other is pure yin. Together, they complement each other. Their fortunes have a mutual enhancing effect, which is a good thing. Is this boy the variable Sister Yun mentioned back then?”

Zeng Jingxuan shook his head, “I don’t know. She never said the variable was a person.”

Lai Yunyi’s expression seemed to darken a bit. After a while, she forced a smile and said, “Indeed, the fates of these two are impossible to predict. The fact that Sister Yun could even see a variable is already beyond what most people can do. If Brother Zhang hadn’t taken Xiao Qi to that place back then, perhaps…”

Before she could finish, Zeng Jingxuan interjected, “Let’s not talk about that. Did you bring the compass?”

Li Tiange took over, “Of course we brought it, along with the other things you asked for. Man, this trip really cleaned us out!”

As he spoke, he took out two sandalwood boxes from a drawer and handed them to Zeng Jingxuan. The boxes weren’t heavy, but Zeng Jingxuan’s expression became serious as he asked, “Two?”

Li Tiange chuckled, “Yeah, two. Besides the one from my old man, Xiao Yi brought the ancestral compass from her family. It’s said to have been used by Lai Buyi himself!”

The so-called “compass” referred to the feng shui compass, an essential tool in feng shui and the foundation of every feng shui master’s livelihood. As a result, high-quality compasses were often passed down through generations and could even be used to save lives in critical situations. Zeng Jingxuan originally had a compass, but it had been contaminated with blood when he dealt with the evil array at the hospital, rendering it useless. He had no choice but to borrow one from his close friends. He hadn’t expected this fat guy to secretly bring out his family’s treasure, along with the ancestral compass from the Lai family. This was something that couldn’t be measured in monetary terms.

Lai Yunyi added coldly, “It really was used by our ancestor. Borrow it, but remember to return it.”

Her tone was serious, but Zeng Jingxuan closed his eyes for a moment. These two knew full well that the journey he was about to embark on might be a one-way trip, yet they still solemnly reminded him to bring the compass back. This was their way of showing support and blessing.

Li Tiange sighed, “You’re so stubborn. Bringing a few more people might’ve been helpful…”

Zeng Jingxuan’s expression returned to normal, and he smiled, “You’re either shop owners or diviners, and there are a few feng shui masters too. Forget it, we don’t need you.”

He was the anomaly here. Most feng shui masters focused on geomancy, and even if they knew some array techniques, they rarely used them in combat. After all, destroying arrays was a harmful practice, and few in the Sanliao family even studied it anymore. Bringing these people along wouldn’t be helpful—it might even endanger their lives.

Lai Yunyi nodded slightly, her sharp eyes falling on Wei Yang as she said, “I heard you have a bone array? Let me see it.”

This woman even knew about the bone array? Wei Yang glanced at Zeng Jingxuan in surprise. The man nodded silently, indicating that it was fine. It seemed this had been discussed beforehand. Wei Yang then took off the bone chain and handed it to her.

Unlike others who would simply “look” at the bone array, Lai Yunyi took out a few strands of what looked like grass stems from her pocket. She placed the three bone pieces on the table and lightly tossed the grass stems, letting them fall naturally.

In ancient times, divination and casting were two different methods of fortune-telling. Divination involved burning turtle shells, while casting involved tossing grass stems. The former was favored by the Wu family, while the latter was the specialty of the Confucian school. The earliest casting method used a plant called yarrow, which was later replaced by coins and bamboo sticks. However, Lai Yunyi was using real grass stems, likely an ancient method. Wei Yang widened his eyes—he hadn’t expected to see this method used to divine the bone array.

Lai Yunyi’s hands didn’t stop. After tossing the grass stems, she began calculating with both hands, her fingertips quickly moving over her knuckles, almost leaving afterimages. After about half an hour, her hands finally stopped. She looked up and said calmly, “It’s the Three Talents.”

This statement made Zeng Jingxuan pause, “Heaven, Earth, and Man?”

This was almost a rhetorical question—the Three Talents naturally referred to Heaven, Earth, and Man, the most basic concept in the Book of Changes. Everyone present understood this. However, who would’ve thought that the Wu family’s bone array would also follow the Three Talents pattern? How were Heaven, Earth, and Man represented?

Lai Yunyi didn’t address Zeng Jingxuan’s question. Instead, she looked directly at Wei Yang and asked, “Have you used this thing? Do the three bone pieces have different effects?”

Wei Yang finally caught on. After a moment of thought, he nodded and answered, “One can suppress demons, one can ward off ghosts, and the last one seems to be able to contain living souls.”

The bone array placed at the Jiang family’s home could suppress fox demons and ward off evil spirits, the one buried at Miaotou Mountain could deal with corpse puppets and wailing children, and the first one from Wang Village could contain living souls. Thinking about it now, the effects of the three were clearly distinct and never overlapped.

A faint smile—one that didn’t look particularly pleasant—appeared on Lai Yunyi’s face as she said slowly, “That’s it. Demons represent Heaven, ghosts represent Earth, and living souls represent Man. This is an array based on the Three Talents principle, so it must be considered from the perspective of the Three Talents array. I can’t divine anything else. You’ll have to figure it out yourselves.”

It seemed that after the divination, her already aged face had grown even older. Li Tiange walked over and took her thin hand in his. Zeng Jingxuan’s expression became solemn as he nodded lightly. His older sister had also been a yin-yang master, so he knew full well the price one had to pay for such powerful divination. That’s why he hadn’t even mentioned it to Lai Yunyi. But after learning the details, she had still come and performed a divination. This was more than just a simple “thank you” could repay.

Lai Yunyi, of course, understood her childhood friend well. She forced a smile and said, “When you get back, just help Xiao Li with some odd jobs.”

The slight worry on Li Tiange’s face also disappeared as he chuckled, “It’s only fair! We’re expanding our business, so you can’t back out, Master Zeng.”

The solemnity on Zeng Jingxuan’s face also faded slightly as he smiled and nodded, “I will.”

He would definitely return, bringing back the two priceless compasses and the wishes of his friends.

Without much further discussion, after a few more casual conversations, Zeng Jingxuan led the two youngsters out of the hotel.

After getting into the car, Wei Yang remained silent for a long time before suddenly asking, “Mr. Zeng, what exactly did Ms. Lai mean by that ‘variable’? Is that variable really me?”

Sitting in the back seat, Zeng Jingxuan glanced at Zhang Xiuqi lightly and replied calmly, “No one knows. Back then, my sister calculated some very ominous things, which is why my brother-in-law took Xiao Qi to the forbidden land for training in advance. Perhaps that was the beginning of the variable, and you’re just one part of it.”

The words were somewhat vague, but Wei Yang could sense the underlying meaning. He glanced at Zhang Xiuqi sitting beside him out of the corner of his eye, then let his right hand, which was resting on the steering wheel, drop down to quietly pat Zhang Xiuqi’s knee. Whatever that “Passing Yin-Yang Master” had calculated back then, he was now entangled in this matter and would definitely try to change something.

With a light laugh, Wei Yang said, “At least we’ve figured out that this bone array is related to the Three Talents array. That’s a major breakthrough. Let’s go home and think of a way to test it further.”

His voice carried a lightness that was completely out of sync with the atmosphere in the car. Zhang Xiuqi reached out and placed his hand over the one on his knee. Whether or not the person beside him was the true variable, he would hold onto him tightly.

In the back seat, a faint smile appeared on Zeng Jingxuan’s lips as he gently closed his eyes.