Beipai Tomb Raiders Notes

Chapter 598 Uncle Cha's Predictions on Fortune

After arriving in town, we flagged down two taxis, and the drivers told us to split up.

The driver and Master Ji rode in one car, while Uncle Cha, Xiao Xuan, and I rode in another. Xiao Xuan told the driver we were going to the South Wharf.

As we passed through the tunnel, it went dark inside the car, and I instantly remembered what had happened the night before.

Xiaoxuan noticed my nervousness and quietly grabbed my wrist.

Soon the car emerged from the tunnel, and I turned to her and asked, "Does my forehead look bluish-red?"

"I couldn't tell, you're definitely not fair-skinned," Xiaoxuan said with a smile.

Uncle Cha, sitting in the passenger seat, said without turning his head, "You must have seen something last night."

The driver was focused on driving, so I didn't dare to say a word.

After getting off the bus, I caught up with Uncle Cha and told him everything that had happened the night before.

"Black Light Demon... No wonder your forehead is bluish-black."

"Will it shorten my lifespan?" I asked.

Uncle Cha walked forward with his hands behind his back, saying, "Young people have strong yang energy, and your birth chart is also strong. In addition, the time for the consultation was short, so it's unlikely that you will suffer a shortened lifespan, but you will probably have to endure bad luck for a while."

"Can we use the same method of dumping and transferring coal as last time to resolve this?" I asked again.

"It's no use, kid. Some things aren't meant for the living."

"This year is the Gengwu year of the Pig, which is the metal element. You can only wait for the year to turn around. Next year is the Gengzi year of the Rat in 08, which is also the Thunderbolt Rat. At that time, your bad luck will naturally go away."

"What is a Thunderfire Rat?" Xiaoxuan asked curiously.

Uncle Cha glanced at Xiao Xuan and explained, "Thunderbolt Fire is heavenly fire, containing the aura of yin virtue and great fortune, but it needs to be combined with water to properly suppress its fire nature. I have calculated that there will be no shortage of water throughout next year, so next year will definitely be a year of great fortune under a peaceful and prosperous era."

I said with a bitter face, "Next year is next year, and this year is this year. Uncle Cha, you know, the thing we fear most in this line of work is bad luck."

Uncle Cha said calmly, "If you could keep my family's heirloom sword with you, it might be of some use."

"Uncle Cha, name your price and sell me your iron knife."

"Family heirlooms are not for sale, regardless of price."

"Then you can rent it to me, and I'll return it to you later. It's almost April now, so I'll rent it for about half a year and give you 500,000."

Uncle Cha ignored me and quickened his pace.

I chased after him and kept harassing him.

He absolutely refused and scolded me on the spot, saying, "You don't need to mention this again! Who in this world hasn't had bad luck? It's not like you're going to die, so what are you afraid of? You should take it easy. On the contrary, the more you care, the faster bad luck will come."

I sighed helplessly.

There were many tourists taking boats at the pier at that time. Xiaoxuan tugged at me and reminded me, "If you don't like it, I'll find a place to buy you a pair of pants. Everyone is looking at you."

"Let him look. What am I afraid of, a man like me? Where are the head and Master Ji?"

"Have we boarded the ship yet? There are too many people and too many eyes around here, so we need to hurry," Xiaoxuan muttered.

We boarded a small boat. Uncle Cha was in low spirits. He stood alone at the bow, enjoying the lake breeze, lost in thought.

"Kid, you said you calculated the location of the Life Gate last night. How did you do it?"

"I told you so."

"Please elaborate."

So I repeated it again in greater detail.

After listening, Uncle Cha pondered for a moment and said, "You mean... the star chart was tattooed on the backs of four women? And you memorized them all?"

I said, "That's the top-level celestial feng shui secret technique in our line of work. I've memorized most of it, but I still can't understand its profound meaning. Maybe, as you said, I just guessed."

"Do you know the origin of that star map?"

I thought for a moment and said, "I don't know much, but I've heard some rumors before."

"Many years ago, there was an official organization called the Astronomical Observation Group. There was a man in the group named Qian Desheng who loved to travel the world on a donkey. There was a man in our line of work named Yao. He was about ten years old at the time. That year, Ningcheng suffered a severe drought and famine. He and his friends from the village stole Qian Desheng's donkey, which was tied to a tree, intending to kill it and eat it. Unexpectedly, the donkey suddenly went mad and carried him all the way to a nearby rocky mountain. It was on the rocky mountain that he met Qian Desheng, and a wonderful story of master and apprentice began."

"This guy surnamed Yao is the number one expert in our industry. The boss and I usually call him Master Yao. He is unmatched in both the North and South schools of Feng Shui with his celestial star Feng Shui technique. Throughout history, the world has changed, and even someone as smart as the boss can't know everything. But God knows everything, and he can make a living by relying on God."

"I met those four women two years ago at the Jiamusi Mental Hospital. As for why the celestial star pattern was tattooed on their backs... I don't know the reason. Three of the four sisters have already passed away, killed by Zhuge Qing of the Changchun Society. Perhaps no one will ever know the truth of what happened back then."

"Uncle Cha, if you're interested, I can try to draw it for you when I have time."

Uncle Cha immediately waved his hand: "Apart from your close relatives, it's best not to mention this to anyone else in the future."

"why?"

“Young man, your profession is divided into the common people's faction and the official faction. Our profession is the same. We all have a lineage. The celestial star technique you mentioned is actually the Xuan Kong Feng Shui theory, which is something passed down from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau in ancient times.”

I knew that the Celestial Star Technique was powerful, but I didn't expect Uncle Cha to be so wary of it. I remember once when I was chatting with him, he was able to pinpoint the approximate location of an ancient tomb in Shaoxing by looking at the stars.

Uncle Cha seemed to have guessed what I was thinking. He said, "Using Xuan Kong Feng Shui to find ancient tombs is like using a cannon to kill a mosquito. Since you've seen it, it proves that you have a connection with it. Your master is still too concerned about you. I think even if I hadn't gone last night, you might have been able to get out of danger on your own."

"I was just guessing, I really don't know."

Uncle Cha said, "There are two kinds of guessing: one is blind guessing, and the other is guessing with ability. You belong to the latter. Chief Wang is indeed insightful in choosing his successor."

"Not at all...hehe," I laughed.

Uncle Cha suddenly asked me, "Kid, do you think feng shui is static or dynamic?"

I immediately replied, "Feng shui is static, but qi is dynamic. Qi is related to time and changes with time, which has evolved into the twenty-four solar terms."

Uncle Cha nodded and then asked me, "What is the relationship between the qi (energy) and the yang house (dwelling) and a person's fortune and misfortune?"

This is a big and complicated question. After thinking about it, I replied: "In a house, the owner is fine this year and fine next year, but an accident happens the year after. During this period, the house's layout and orientation remain unchanged, but time changes. It goes through the twenty-four solar terms, and the stars in the sky also change. The underlying law of this change is the Three Cycles and Nine Periods."

"Yunfeng, what are you saying? I don't understand," Xiaoxuan said.

Uncle Cha interrupted Xiaoxuan and then asked me what the Three Cycles and Nine Periods were.

"The Upper Yuan, Middle Yuan, and Lower Yuan cycle every 180 years. Each Yuan is a Jiazi (sexagenary cycle), and each Jiazi is divided into three periods. Each period lasts for 20 years. Every 20 years, a star in the sky comes down to rule. From 2003 to 2023, we are in the eighth period of the Lower Yuan. Now it is 2007, so it is naturally the eighth period of the Lower Yuan."

Uncle Cha nodded: "That's right. So, which star in the sky came down to take charge during this period?"

"I don't know, I haven't researched that."

Uncle Cha's smile vanished, and he said with a stiff face, "I'll think about it carefully."

I thought about it for a long time, then shook my head and said I didn't know.

Uncle Cha continued, "Looking ahead sixteen years, until 2023, during this Lower Yuan Period 8, the Eight White Auxiliary Star will be in charge. The Eight White Star is a wealth star and belongs to the Earth element. Therefore, in the coming years, people who are involved in real estate development will be blessed by the wealth star in the dark."

"After 2023, what star will descend to earth and rule the next major cycle of fortune?" he asked again.

“I have no idea! Twenty years from now! Who would think that far ahead?” I said.

Uncle Cha sighed, "Sigh, I take back what I just said to you. You were just guessing last night. You can't even see the horoscope for the next forty years. You'll never understand the celestial arts you mentioned in this lifetime."

I got angry.

Uncle Cha looked at me and said, "After 2023, the cycle of the Nine Periods will begin, and the Nine Purple Right Auxiliary Star will descend to earth to rule. The Nine Purple Star belongs to fire, which means that from 2024 to 2044, industries related to fire will prosper and be blessed by the Nine Purple Star."

Xiao Xuan, standing nearby, asked in confusion, "Fire? Does that mean that by then... opening a crematorium will make you rich?"

Uncle Cha was amused by Xiao Xuan's innocence. He smiled and said, "Girl, you're right, but the Nine Purple Fire isn't limited to open flames. Electricity used by every household is also considered fire, as are ores and energy that can be mined and utilized."

Xiaoxuan immediately counted on her fingers, looked up and said, "If we wait until then, I'll be 37 years old, and Yunfeng will be almost 40."

Uncle Cha stared at Xiao Xuan's face for a few seconds, then turned and went into the cabin without saying anything.