Feng Shui - Chapter 5
September 14th, the first day of the eighth lunar month.
Suitable activities include bathing, traveling, brewing, and receiving wealth.
Taboos include: dilapidated houses, weddings, broken walls, and catching fish.
Auspicious and inauspicious directions: God of Happiness is in the southwest, God of Nobility is in the northwest, Five Ghosts is in the northwest, and Death Gate is in the south.
Grass Ash had intended to sleep in this morning, but Fujiwara Miho insisted on washing the sheets, so Grass Ash was kicked off the bed. As Grass Ash rolled on the floor, half-asleep, he found a left hand reaching out to him, and he realized it was familiar. Grass Ash often felt a strange fear of left hands these days, so he was now fully awake and shivered involuntarily. The left hand reaching out to him belonged to Feng Shui, and Feng Shui was extending its left hand to pull Grass Ash up from the floor.
"Boss, good morning!" Grass Ash jumped up quickly from the ground, then took a step back, looking at Feng Shui Dao with lingering fear.
"So nervous so early in the morning, did you have a nightmare last night?" Feng Shui smiled.
"Hehe, even the boss noticed that," Grass Ash said awkwardly.
2004-12-7 14:42:00
"Tell me about it, and I'll interpret your dream to see what good omen it might bring," the feng shui master said with a smile.
“I had a very strange dream last night. It was like I was in a big house with a lot of people inside. The house seemed to be shrouded in a kind of yin energy. The people inside tried to rush out of the house, but they couldn’t get out. Then everyone in the house died,” Grass Ash recalled.
“Your dream is indeed a good omen, hehe. Today, go take a shower first, then get your hair done, change into clean clothes, and then I’m going to take you somewhere,” Feng Shui said, patting Cao Hui on the shoulder.
"Dead people can be a good omen. By the way, where is the boss taking me?" Grass Ash asked, puzzled.
"Go take a shower first, then come find me." After saying that, Feng Shui turned and left.
Cao Hui was completely bewildered, not knowing what Feng Shui wanted him to do. However, no matter what Feng Shui asked him to do, even if it meant climbing mountains of knives or plunging into boiling oil, Cao Hui would do it without hesitation. Because Cao Hui knew that Feng Shui definitely wouldn't ask him to do those things.
Cao Hui carried Fujiwara Miho to a sauna, then found a pretty massage "lady" for a full-body massage, and then went to "Kaiyu Hair Salon" to spend a thousand yuan to get a trendy and fashionable perm that looked somewhat like the curly wigs worn by some nobles in medieval Europe.
Fujiwara Mishu was genuinely startled by her husband's new hairstyle. Kusanagi's face already looked quite young, perhaps only sixteen or seventeen, but this new hairstyle made him look rather out of place. Feng Shui, however, was all smiles; he seemed quite "satisfied" with Kusanagi's new look.
"Honey, are you going to make a movie?" Fujiwara Mihide stepped forward and gently touched the gray hair, asking curiously.
"No taste. I just slightly modified my appearance. How about it? Still as handsome as ever, right?" Grass Ash said smugly.
“I didn’t realize it. I still think your original hairstyle was cuter. You look a bit older now,” Fujiwara Miho said.
"Ignorance is maturity, not old age." Cao Hui was completely at a loss with his "tasteless" Japanese wife.
“This is even more to my liking, Grass Ash. Do you know what I’m taking you to do?” Feng Shui said.
Cao Hui shook his head, looking completely bewildered.
"I'm going to take you to school," Feng Shui said with a smile.
At the entrance of the University of Traditional Chinese Medicine---"Is this the place, boss?" Cao Hui looked at the sign at the entrance of the University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and asked the feng shui beside him.
“That’s right, I’ve taken care of everything you need for enrollment. Now you’re a freshman at this prestigious university.” Feng Shui looked at the school with satisfaction and said to Cao Hui beside him.
“However, boss, I know I have a lot of knowledge and refinement, but I also know my own limitations. With my current level of education, I can only graduate from junior high school. You want me to go to university, isn’t that a bit of a waste of my talents?” Cao Hui asked Feng Shui with a troubled expression.
"No, is it not a pleasure to learn and practice what you have learned? You should study more to make progress and be able to better accompany me on my adventures in the future," Feng Shui said sincerely, patting the ashes on the shoulder.
"Really? Is that true, boss?" Grass Ash asked Feng Shui with a skeptical look.
"Of course it's true, how could I lie to you? Don't worry, don't worry. Oh, I forgot to tell you, I enrolled you in the 'Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine' major this time. You must study hard and not let me down." Feng Shui said to Cao Hui with emotion.
"Thank you for your guidance, boss. I'll be going to school now. I probably won't be able to stay at home for a while. Could you please take a picture of my Meixiu for me?" Cao Hui said with some reluctance.
"Don't worry, I'll bring Meixiu to see you in a couple of days. Study hard. There's something very important I forgot to tell you. There's a girl at this school you need to get to know. She's very important to me," Fengshui said solemnly.
"So that's how it is. No wonder the boss sent me to school. It was to find a woman. Hehe, so who is this beauty who has captured the boss's heart?" Grass Ash said with a sly expression.
"You know her too? She's Li Qiu, the one you and Meixiu killed." Feng Shui said with a sinister smile.
Cao Hui was completely stunned this time, because the feng shui had already helped Li Qiu's spirit reincarnate, but less than a year had passed. How could Li Qiu be here, and even be in college?
However, seeing Feng Shui's sly smile, Cao Hui seemed to understand something, yet also seemed to understand nothing at all. But Cao Hui suddenly sensed that this was going to be very interesting; it seemed Cao Hui's university life was going to be very exciting. However, what lay hidden behind that excitement was something Cao Hui hadn't expected.
2004-12-7 14:46:00
Chapter Nine: Refining Ghosts
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"The fragrance of rue is stored deep in the brocade pouch, and rare books and ancient paintings are priceless."
September 15th, the second day of the eighth lunar month.
Suitable activities include: traveling, meeting friends, cleaning the house, and taking a bath.
Taboos include: marriage, erecting pillars, raising beams, and sacrifices.
Auspicious and inauspicious directions: God of Happiness is in the south, God of Nobility is in the northwest, Five Ghosts is in the northwest, and Death Gate is in the east.
Cao Hui has moved into the dormitory for students in the Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. The room, including Cao Hui's, has only two people but six beds. Rumor has it that the dormitory is somewhat haunted; no more than three students can live there, otherwise misfortune will surely follow. In previous years, all six bunk beds in this dormitory were filled, and all twelve people died mysteriously overnight, without any visible injuries. Since then, whenever the dormitory is full of twelve people, they all die overnight. However, when there are fewer than four people, nothing happens. This dormitory has since earned the nickname "Three Nights Without Passing," and is also known as "Three Nights Without Passing, Twelve Nights Without Good Fortune."
However, Cao Hui's only roommate made him feel uneasy, even though this person was very enthusiastic and seemed easygoing. This person had lived in the dorm for a year before Cao Hui moved in, and it was this classmate who told him the rumors about the dorm. But Cao Hui always felt that something was off about this person, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
This man called himself Lee Jang-ho. Some people at the school suspected he was Korean because there was a Korean Go player named Lee Chang-ho. He was also a student in the Department of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, but not in the same class as Cao Hui; he was a sophomore. Judging from his appearance, he was 100% Chinese. He was 1.72-1.73 meters tall, with a strong body like a young calf, and his face was covered with the "beautiful acne" that marked virginity. Moreover, he had many bad habits, being proficient in smoking and drinking.
On the day Cao Hui moved in, Li Zhanghao helped Cao Hui move his things with great enthusiasm and introduced some essential common sense things for college students. However, the way Cao Hui looked at him always contained something unfathomable. He seemed peaceful and simple, but there was a hidden brilliance in his eyes.
However, Grass Ash is just a simple demon, and his purpose in coming here this time is not to go to school, but to find a woman for a feng shui master. Moreover, this woman has a deep connection with him; this woman is the reincarnation of Li Qiu, and Grass Ash is eager to find her as soon as possible. Because he wants to apologize to Li Qiu in person for the mistakes he made in the past. It seems that once a demon has a human heart, he is no longer a demon. However, Grass Ash looks more like a human-demon than a demon.
After making the arrangements, Cao Hui was very touched by Li Zhanghao's tireless help. Although Li Zhanghao's enthusiasm was a little too much for Cao Hui, Cao Hui remained sincere. Therefore, Cao Hui decided to treat Li Zhanghao to a meal to express his gratitude.
During the meal, Cao Hui and Li Zhanghao toasted each other warmly, and everyone seemed very happy. They began to chat about things at school. Actually, Cao Hui had two purposes for treating everyone to this meal: first, he wanted to inquire about Li Qiu from Li Zhanghao, and second, he wanted to discern something from Li Zhanghao himself. This person gave him a completely different feeling from ordinary people; the aura Li Zhanghao possessed was not something an ordinary person should have, but rather the aura of a cultivator. Although Li Zhanghao deliberately concealed it, Cao Hui was no ordinary person either.
"Brother Li, is there a woman named Li Qiu in our school?" Cao Hui asked.
"Hey, we're all friends, no need to be so polite and call me Brother Li. Everyone's used to calling me 'Mouse,' so you can just call me Mouse from now on," Li Zhanghao said, slightly drunk.
"Rat? That's a good name. I used to have a very good friend named Rat, hehe." Grass Ash savored Li Zhanghao's 'nickname' and couldn't help but recall a friend from his days cultivating demons.
"Your friend is a rat?" Li Zhanghao asked, staring at the ashes with some confusion.
"Sigh, that's all in the past, let's not talk about it. By the way, I just asked you if there's someone named Li Qiu in our school, and you haven't answered me yet," Cao Hui said, changing the subject.
"Yes, of course there are. There are three people named Li Qiu, and they are all girls. Do you know them all?" Li Zhanghao asked casually.
"No, no, I just have a friend who told me his girlfriend's name is Li Qiu, and she happens to be studying at our school, so he asked me to contact her," Cao Hui said insincerely.
"Oh, I see. But in my memory, all three of them named Li Qiu seem to have boyfriends. Your friend didn't send you here to infiltrate his camp and catch them cheating, did he?" Li Zhanghao asked, staring at the ashes.
Looking into Li Zhanghao's eyes, Cao Hui suddenly felt very uncomfortable, a slight sense of oppression creeping into his heart.
"No, no, maybe we're not talking about the same person," Cao Hui said, avoiding Li Zhanghao's gaze.
"Hehe, I knew it! How could it be such a coincidence? Oh well, dating is a two-way street these days. Even if your friend's girlfriend ran off with someone else, don't worry about it so much. Three-legged toads are hard to find, but two-legged people are everywhere." Li Zhanghao said with a faint smile, as if he were sprinkling some ashes.
"Yes, yes. Hehe." Grass Ash forced a laugh.
Cao Hui didn't know if Li Zhanghao's words had a double meaning or were just a coincidence, because Cao Hui himself was a frog who had cultivated into human form. The fact that Li Zhanghao could reveal his true form deepened Cao Hui's apprehension.
It was already 8:46 PM. They had drunk quite a bit, and after Cao Hui paid the bill, he and Li Zhanghao prepared to go back to school to sleep.
Their dormitory was in a very remote location. Because it was a medical university, there was a hospital on campus, and a rather large one at that. Of course, where there's a hospital, there are bound to be patients who die from illnesses that can't be cured. And where there are dead people, there's bound to be a morgue. Their dormitory was located right next to the morgue, meaning the morgue was their only way back to their dormitory.
The summer night was already rather muggy, but as Cao Hui passed by the morgue, he could still sense a faint, eerie aura emanating from it. He couldn't tell if this was from the cold air emanating from the freezers storing the bodies, or from the yin energy emanating from the corpses themselves. However, Cao Hui wasn't afraid of anything, because he was a demon, how could he be afraid of such low-level ghosts? Besides, his wife was a ghost who had cultivated herself.
"Grass Ash, I have something to take care of. You go back to your dorm first. I'll be back later," Li Zhanghao suddenly said to Grass Ash.
"Oh, it's alright, you go take care of your business, I'll go back by myself." Cao Hui glanced at the morgue not far ahead again, then turned to Li Zhanghao beside him and said.
"Hehe, scared passing by the morgue alone? Don't be afraid, we'll have anatomy classes later, seeing dead people is a common occurrence." Li Zhanghao said with a wicked smile, patting Cao Hui's shoulder.
"How could I be afraid? I'm a very brave person." Grass Ash puffed out his chest, pretending to be very bold.
"Hehe, that's good. Go back and get some sleep. I won't be back until very late. Be careful on the road, see you later." Li Zhanghao waved to the ashes and walked away alone.
Cao Hui watched Li Zhanghao leave and then walked towards the dormitory. When Cao Hui passed the morgue, he suddenly felt that a barrier had been set up around the morgue. The attribute of this barrier was the pure Yang "Six Yang Sealing Ghosts Array". It is the sixty-four seals of the innate Bagua, divided into six Yang groups, and the positions that should have changed to Yin are also set up with the Yang trigram array.
2004-12-7 14:47:00
This formation not only controls the intrusion of all external supernatural forces but also prevents the leakage of any ghosts or other evil forces within it. The design of this formation is truly flawless; few cultivators would attempt to use Yang attributes to occupy positions within a Yin-attribute formation. This is because heaven and earth are divided into Yin and Yang; if there is only Yang and no Yin, it becomes an extreme, turning into a malevolent formation that negatively impacts the surrounding environment and people. However, this formation is different. It is a Yang formation, but what is trapped within it is Yin. This approach perfectly achieves the complementarity of Yin and Yang, ensuring the continuous cycle of all things. It is truly ingenious and perfectly balanced.
However, nothing in this world is perfect. This "Six Yang Sealing Ghost Formation" also has a flaw: the trapped Yin energy and souls within the formation cannot all escape. They will inevitably develop demonic nature, transforming into extremely Yin energy, the so-called evil spirits. The location within this formation is a morgue. As the name suggests, if the Yin energy of the dead cannot be fully released to the outside world, the remaining spiritual consciousness within the deceased will transform into evil spirits, the so-called "vengeful ghosts." These vengeful ghosts can absorb the Yin energy and Yang attributes within the formation, absorbing pure Yin and pure Yang energy. They can undergo further refinement within the formation. Once refined to a certain degree, they will have the ability to break free. At that time, these vengeful ghosts will become beings of a different cultivation path, distinct from the five other cultivation paths—the refined ghosts.
This method of refining ghosts is not found in the traditional path of cultivation, but rather is a method used by cultivators in the past to refine secret treasures. This method is uncommon. Because refining ghosts goes against the natural order, it is despised by cultivators. Throughout history, using ghosts to create secret treasures has not only assimilated the cultivator but also caused significant harm if not done properly. Therefore, the method of refining ghosts has almost been lost to the cultivation world. Only a few extremely high-level cultivators understand this secret technique. However, high-level cultivators no longer need to use any so-called secret treasures for refinement. Therefore, the items refined by this method are only useful to lower- to mid-level cultivators with relatively low magical power.
Judging from the current operating sequence of this formation, it has been set up for at least half a year. The time required to refine a ghost is exactly six months, so it seems that the ghost being refined is about to break out of the formation.
Cao Hui had never seen a ghost-refining formation before, but he knew a little about the evolution and attributes of formations. He wasn't quite sure what was trapped in the formation. However, Cao Hui vaguely sensed that he probably had no chance of defeating what was trapped in the formation.
Cao Hui knew his time was running out. He had to find the reincarnated Li Qiu before the entity within the formation broke free and quickly take her away. Before the resurrected ghost could emerge, some anomalies would inevitably occur, causing varying degrees of negative impact on the surrounding environment. Cao Hui couldn't help but admire Feng Shui's tenderness and compassion; to go to such lengths for a woman he had only met once truly showed his deep affection and loyalty. Cao Hui's responsibility was to find Li Qiu before the resurrected ghost broke free and protect her safety. He knew Li Qiu was very important to Feng Shui, but only Feng Shui himself knew just how important. Cao Hui didn't want to ask Feng Shui this question directly, because Feng Shui's left hand always cast an indelible shadow on Cao Hui's heart.
Without giving it any further thought, Cao Hui walked past the morgue and arrived at his dormitory. Outside the dormitory building, he noticed his room light was on, and a figure flashed past. However, Cao Hui recognized the figure immediately; it was the alluring silhouette of his wife, Fujiwara Misaki.
Cao Hui quickly returned to his room, his steps becoming two in a row. Upon entering, he saw Fujiwara Mishu, her face betraying her longing for her husband, a hint of melancholy in her expression, which stirred a feeling of tenderness in Cao Hui. Fujiwara Mishu sat reclining on Cao Hui's bed, gazing lovingly at him. A day apart felt like three autumns. Neither spoke, yet their love was palpable. Fujiwara Mishu possessed a face like a lotus blossom, skin like snow, naturally graceful and mature, leaning swaying against the bed. Cao Hui hurried forward, reaching the bedside to meet Fujiwara Mishu's gaze. Fujiwara Mishu's lips and teeth resembled plum blossoms, half-open, half-closed. Cao Hui lowered the bed curtains, concealing themselves within them.
A poem says: At first glance by the curtain, a hint of shyness lingers; upon passing the tower again, a warm welcome brings joy. Whether walking, standing, or sitting, they are perfectly suited; nestled together, they are most fitting. How can one bear to witness such a passionate and romantic figure, one who is without fortune yet finds it hard to bear? Where has the wind carried Liezi to? Night after night, the moon shines brightly on the willow branches.
After their lovemaking, Fujiwara Mihide leaned against Cao Hui's shoulder, her arms wrapped around his waist, her eyes filled with affection, as if her love was too deep to be contained.
"Honey, why would the feng shui master let you study here? What's going on?" Fujiwara Misaki asked tenderly.
"Xiuxiu, I didn't want to come either, but for the sake of the boss's woman, I have no choice but to take the lead," Cao Hui said helplessly.
"What? The boss has women?" Fujiwara Mihide exclaimed in surprise.
“Yes, you know this woman too. She’s Li Qiu, the SOHO worker we killed before. She’s been reincarnated and is studying at this university.” Grass Ash shrugged lightly.
"So it was that slovenly woman? Boss's taste is terrible," Fujiwara Mihide said, frowning.
"Who says otherwise? If that Li Qiu were half as good as you, then the boss would have good judgment. But the boss actually... sigh, never mind." Grass Ash said even more helplessly.
“Perhaps that’s what makes the boss so special,” Fujiwara Mihide remarked.
"I hope so. By the way, how did you end up here?" Grass Ash asked, looking at his beautiful wife in his arms.
"It's because I missed you, hehe. By the way, when I came this time, the boss asked me to bring you something, saying that I should give it to Li Qiu when I find her." Fujiwara Misaki said in a sweet and mushy voice, then remembered the feng shui thing she had been given to her before she came.
Fujiwara Mihide got up and rummaged through the clothes she had taken off by the bedside, finding a blue brocade pouch which she handed to Cao Hui.
"What is this?" Cao Hui asked curiously, looking at the brocade pouch.
Fujiwara no Mihide took out a piece of emerald green from her brocade pouch. The jade was about three inches square and five millimeters thick, crystal clear throughout. In the center was engraved the seal script character for "wind," surrounded by simple yet exquisitely elegant antique patterns. The top of the emerald was ended by a green Chinese character. Holding the jade in her hand, she felt a cool, yet not cold, sensation, and its antique appearance suggested it was no ordinary piece.
As Cao Hui touched the jade, a look of emotion appeared on his face.
"It seems the feng shui master is a thoughtful person; he's willing to spend money on the woman he likes. You should learn from him and buy me a fifty-carat South African natural diamond ring someday. It would be a good thing after all these years of marriage." Fujiwara Mishu looked at the emerald and said to Cao Hui with envy.
“How can such superficial things express my deep affection for you? What is a fifty-carat diamond? I’ll pluck the stars from the sky and give them to you that day,” Grass Ash said with genuine emotion.
"I knew you were the best," Fujiwara Mishu said sweetly, burying her head in the ashes.