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“Ru Hua, you’re rich…” A man in his fifties or sixties, wearing a dark blue Zhongshan suit and with a pale face, walked in.

"Father! What brings you here?" Qin Ruhua exclaimed in surprise.

"Father..." Mayor Guo was taken aback, and hurriedly said, "Why didn't you inform us beforehand that you were coming?"

"Hehe, I heard you're celebrating your housewarming, so I've come to offer my congratulations," Secretary Qin grinned. His gaze fell on Youfu, and he guessed, "This must be Youfu, a hero of the Sino-Vietnamese War."

"Youfu, this is Secretary Qin, my father-in-law," Mayor Guo hurriedly introduced.

"Hello, Secretary Qin, I am Guo Youfu," Youfu said loudly, straightening his posture.

"Hmm, very good, still maintaining a military bearing. You're quite wealthy. Let me introduce you to someone..." Secretary Qin stepped aside, behind him stood a thin old man with a youthful face and white hair, dressed in black. "This is Professor Fei, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and also the abbot of the Daluo Palace in Jiexiu, Shanxi." He introduced him respectfully.

"This humble Taoist is Fei Ziyun," said Master Fei, clasping his hands together in prayer.

"Welcome, Mr. Fei, to my humble abode," Mayor Guo greeted him warmly.

Master Fei raised his eyes and glanced at the old house, then nodded and said, "Hmph, what a 'ghost-embracing-fragrance' earthen house."

Mayor Guo was puzzled by what he heard, but dared not ask him directly. He simply looked at his father-in-law, Secretary Qin.

Secretary Qin chuckled and said, "Old Fei, let's go inside and talk. You've got money, hurry up and make some tea."

"Alright, alright," Mayor Guo hurriedly instructed his wife, "Ruhua, make some tea."

Qin Ruhua quickly pulled Da Guai and Er Guai over, pushed them back to their room, and then went to the kitchen to make tea.

Mayor Guo led Mr. Fei and his father-in-law to the main living room, while the wealthy and sensible Ms. Tong returned to her west wing.

"Nizi, it's time for school. Uncle Guo will test you. Can you count? From one to one hundred Arabic numerals," Youfu asked Nizi.

“I can,” Nizi said. “Grandpa taught me quite a few words too.”

"Oh, that girl is quite something. Tell me what characters you can write?" Youfu pulled over a chair and placed a sheet of white paper and a pencil on it.

Nizi sat upright at the table, carefully writing each stroke of the paper.

After a while, Youfu leaned down and looked over. Nizi had already written more than ten characters. Although the characters were crooked, he could easily recognize them. The first few characters Nizi wrote were: Master Yidu of Fengling Temple...

Chapter 19, Part 3

In the main living room, Qin Ruhua poured tea for everyone and then went to the kitchen to prepare snacks to go with the evening's drinks.

"Mr. Fei, I just heard you mention the 'ghost embracing fragrance' earthen house. What do you mean by that?" Mayor Guo asked respectfully.

"Yes, Mr. Fei, could you please explain? I'd really like to know too," Secretary Qin said with a smile.

Master Fei took a sip of tea, cleared his throat, and then began to speak eloquently: "While I was in the carriage, gazing at the mountains and landforms around Fenglingdu, I vaguely saw a faint white aura of earth extending from the back of the mountain, enveloping this old house. It was quite strange. As we all know, Chinese Feng Shui believes that human dwellings can be categorized into five shapes: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. This old house is ancient, with a square layout, a slightly low roof ridge, and a flat top without any sharp corners or irregular shapes. It has the connotation of nurturing, solidity, and cohesion, making it a typical earth-shaped house. I deduce that the owner of this house must be a person who is tolerant and persistent, strategic and reserved, and taciturn and secretive."

"Indeed, Elder Fei has a keen eye; that old man Guo is exactly that kind of person," Mayor Guo exclaimed admiringly.

Master Fei took another sip of tea with satisfaction and continued, "Houses have five elements, and people also have five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. A house is auspicious if its five elements are compatible with those of its inhabitants, and inauspicious if they are incompatible."

"Is this old house suitable for my family to live in?" Mayor Guo asked impatiently.

Master Fei smiled slightly: "It is suitable for people with the Earth and Metal elements in their destiny to live here."

"That's great!" Mayor Guo breathed a sigh of relief and said. "Ru Hua is an earth element person, and I am a metal element person. Earth produces metal, right? Marrying Ru Hua, becoming the mayor, and now moving into an earth-shaped house, isn't that a bright future ahead?" He had asked a fortune teller before and knew a little bit about it.

Secretary Qin frowned.

"That's not necessarily true," Master Fei said, still smiling.

“Ah…” Mayor Guo was taken aback upon hearing this.

“This house was built by a master. Back then, this ancient locust tree was planted in the Li position outside the gate. It must be over a thousand years old. Planting a tree in the Li position (fire element) means that wood generates fire, and fire generates earth, thus providing shelter for the owner of the earth-shaped house. The strange thing is that it was planted as a locust tree, a ‘wood ghost’ tree. It can be said that he has gone to great lengths to plan this…” Master Fei’s expression became serious.

Mayor Guo was a little nervous, while Secretary Qin, sitting to the side, listened with great interest.

"A white aura of earth energy envelopes the earthen house in the back mountain valley, and the wooden ghost tree in front is like a stick of incense offered to ghosts and gods. This formation is called 'Ghost Embracing Incense.' It is extremely ominous for anyone outside the formation to move into the old house," Master Fei said decisively.

"Then... what should we do? Does Elder Fei have a way to solve this?" Mayor Guo's forehead was slightly beaded with sweat.

Master Fei pondered for a moment and said, "Ordinary trinkets like feng shui mirrors, peach wood swords, and exorcising artifacts are useless. Only by following the clues and breaking the earth's energy can it be effective."

"Earth energy? How do we break through that invisible and intangible thing?" Mayor Guo was at a loss.

Master Fei chuckled and said, "In my opinion, the energy here comes from an ancient tomb. As long as we find that tomb, dig it up, and let the energy dissipate when exposed to light, we can resolve the issue."

Chapter 20, Part 1

Youfu silently picked up the blank sheet of paper, looked at Nizi with a puzzled expression, and remained silent for a long time.

"Uncle Guo, did Nizi write something wrong?" Nizi asked nervously.

"No, Nizi wrote very well, not bad at all," Youfu said dismissively.

Just then, Qin Ruhua's voice rang out from the courtyard: "Nizi, come and eat mutton stew with Da Guai and Er Guai."

Nizi dashed out like a shot.

Youfu stared at the characters "Master Yidu of Fengling Temple" in deep thought. Why did Old Man Guo only teach Nizi these characters? Instead of starting with the characters with the fewest strokes, as most parents do? There must be some purpose behind this...

It seems that Master Yidu of Fengling Temple is indeed no ordinary person.

"Youfu, your brother is calling you for dinner." Qin Ruhua, his sister-in-law, called out again from the courtyard.

Youfu carefully folded the piece of white paper that Nizi had written on, put it in his shirt pocket, and then pushed open the door and went out.

An eight-immortal table had already been set up in the living room. Because her father's arrival was so sudden, Qin Ruhua didn't have time to prepare any dishes. She simply brought out a large bowl of stir-fried mutton with scallions and a platter of offal made up of mutton liver, tripe, kidneys, and intestines. On top of that was a whole steamed mutton penis. She knew that this was her father's favorite.

The wine was two jars of aged Fenjiu liquor brought by Secretary Qin. The wax seal had been broken, and a faint, apple-like aroma filled the air.

At this moment, Secretary Qin sniffed the air and said in a blissful manner, "Among the eight famous liquors in China, my favorite is Fenjiu. It has a pure and fragrant aroma. Even if you drink a little too much, the people around you won't be able to smell it. Unlike Moutai and Luzhou Laojiao, which are strong-aroma liquors, one sip and everyone on the street will know you've been drinking."

Master Fei still wore his usual smile and said, "Although I spend most of my time in the capital, I still prefer to drink Fenjiu from my hometown, Xinghua Village."

"During the Lushan Conference in 1959, Chairman Mao and He Zizhen had a small gathering on Lushan Mountain. As Chairman Mao's ex-wife, He Zizhen was very concerned about his health. During the meal, she asked him if he still smoked and drank. Chairman Mao replied, 'I can't quit smoking, but I only drink Fenjiu from Xinghua Village in Shanxi. It doesn't give me a headache.' He then spontaneously wrote down two lines from Du Mu's poem 'Qingming Festival': 'May I ask where the tavern is? A shepherd boy points to Xinghua Village.' and gave them to He Zizhen as a souvenir," Secretary Qin said enthusiastically.

Mayor Guo poured wine glasses for Master Fei and his father-in-law with great hospitality, saying, "Come on, Youfu, let's toast Master Fei and Secretary Qin together."

Everyone drank it all in one gulp, praising it highly.

Secretary Qin picked up the grayish-white sheep penis with its two testicles still attached with his chopsticks, put it in Master Fei's bowl, and said, "Master Fei, Taoist health preservation knowledge is very profound. Is there any truth to this kind of aphrodisiac?"

Master Fei smiled and said, “Everything in the world is likened to other things. Animal reproductive organs contain mysterious pharmacological effects that modern medicine cannot yet explain. Take this sheep penis as an example. The penis, scientifically known as the genitals, is nothing more than engorged corpora cavernosa. The real components are hidden in the testicles. Chairman Mao once said, ‘The lowly are the most intelligent, and the noble are the most foolish.’ The common people are intelligent. In ancient times, they already called sheep testicles ‘sheep treasures.’ But those noble scientists analyze and test them in the laboratory and finally come to the absurd conclusion that animal reproductive organs are not as nutritious as eggs! This statement is extremely foolish. Let them eat eggs. We’ll eat this…” After saying this, he picked up the sheep penis, bit off half of the testicle, and swallowed it whole.

Chapter 20, Part 2

“Youfu, Mr. Fei told us that there might be something wrong with this old house…” Mayor Guo said hesitantly.

"What's the problem?" Youfu put down his wine glass and asked with a puzzled look.

"There's a white aura in the back hill valley that's enveloped the old house; it's called 'Ghost Embracing Fragrance,' and it's a bit eerie," said Mayor Guo, finishing his drink in one gulp and putting down his cup.

Youfu has never believed in legends about feng shui and witchcraft. He wanted to refute them but was too polite to his guest, so he shook his head and remained silent.

“Hehe,” Old Fei saw that Fu seemed unconvinced, so he said seriously, “'Ghost Embracing Incense' is a feng shui puzzle. The old locust tree ‘wood ghost’ in front of this house is used as a sacrifice. The person who set it up back then had a deeper meaning.”

Secretary Qin nodded silently to the side, his eyes secretly glancing at the remaining half of the testicle in Old Fei's bowl.

Master Fei took a sip of wine and continued, “I believe that the person who designed this place intended to protect the people living inside from external disturbances. Although living in this house for a long time may make people taciturn and reserved, they will be cautious and trustworthy, and their incense will continue to burn. As long as the old locust tree does not die, no matter if there is war or dynastic change, their descendants will be able to multiply without interruption.”

“But Old Guo has no descendants,” Youfu couldn’t help but interject.

"Yes, Old Guo has no children, his lineage is dead," Mayor Guo chimed in.

Master Fei pondered for a moment, then said, "This shows that something went wrong, which I also find quite puzzling."

"That's right!" Mayor Guo exclaimed, slapping his thigh. "I've heard from the elders that during the severe drought in Shaanxi in 1929, over two million people starved to death or fled the famine. Women were forced into prostitution in Shanxi. In Fenglingdu alone on the Yellow River, 400,000 young women were found crossing the border within two years. Those starving women stripped the leaves and bark off the trees along the way to eat, and even this old locust tree in front of the door wasn't spared. Strangely, the old locust tree didn't die despite being bald; the following year, new branches sprouted and the bark gradually regenerated, which was truly amazing..."

“That’s right. Although the old locust tree has been revived after such a serious injury, the owner of the house has no descendants now, because the incense has been extinguished and the fire has been cut off.” A smile appeared on Master Fei’s face, and the doubts in his heart were resolved.

“With the bark stripped off, water and nutrients can’t be transported up, and photosynthesis is impossible. The tree is doomed to die. How could it possibly come back to life?” Youfu simply didn’t believe it.

"No, it's entirely possible." Master Fei smiled mysteriously.

You Fu stared at Master Fei, realizing that this clearly violated the laws of plant growth, and wondered how Master Fei would explain it.

Master Fei chuckled and continued, “Earth energy, this white earth energy can stimulate life and bring the old locust tree back to life.”

Youfu waited for Master Fei to elaborate further, but unexpectedly, Master Fei stopped answering and instead buried himself in enjoying the remaining sheep whip.

Chapter 20, Part 3

Secretary Qin cleared his throat and said to Mayor Guo, "Youcai, tomorrow find a few trustworthy people who are tight-lipped, bring the tools, and under Elder Fei's command, go find that ancient tomb. Also, Youfu is a special police commissioner, so he can be in charge of on-site security and personnel confidentiality training."

“No,” Master Fei raised his head and said, “we’ll go tonight.”

Secretary Qin looked at Master Fei with a questioning gaze and said with concern, "Master Fei, it's too dark at night, I'm afraid it won't be easy for you to walk, especially since you still need to gather some people..."

"We don't need anyone else, just the few of us are enough. Today is the Yi-Mao Wood Day, which restrains the Earth element. Tomorrow, Bing-Chen, is not auspicious. After finding the ancient tomb, wait until the Hai-Zi hour, when the Water element drains the Earth element, to break the tomb. But remember to finish before 1 AM the next morning," Master Fei said decisively.

"Alright, we'll listen to Elder Fei." Secretary Qin nodded and made the decision.

Although Youfu didn't believe it, he figured he might as well go and see for himself. He thought that this old man Fei's sudden trip from the capital to Fenglingdu must also be related to the "Feng Hou Mausoleum". He wondered if the ancient tomb he was talking about was the "Feng Hou Mausoleum".

After everyone finished dinner and drank some tea, they took flashlights and two iron hoes and filed out of the old house, heading straight for the back mountain valley.

That night, the bright moon hung high, and the mountains and fields were bathed in a clear light. The chirping of insects was intermittent, and there was still a slight chill in the air of early spring.

Master Fei stood calmly and intently in the wilderness, squinting as he observed the qi (vital energy).

"Observing Qi" is a technique in Feng Shui, which can be learned by ordinary people. It typically involves aiming your pupils at a distant target, squinting your eyes as if looking but not really looking. Over time, you will naturally see a rising, thin, light, and ethereal mist—this is the natural environment's Qi field, which Yin-Yang practitioners call "halo." Initially, it is blurry and indistinct; at first glance, it appears tangible, but upon closer inspection, it is invisible; it seems present from afar but not up close; it appears prominent from the side but blurry from the front, seemingly there yet not there. The key is to first aim at the distant target, then slowly move your gaze to the background of the target. Look casually, as if half-asleep, keeping your mind focused on the distance and its background. Only when you feel a hazy, ethereal atmosphere can you perceive the earth's Qi. In daily practice, you can observe the steam from boiling water, squinting your eyes as if looking at something else, using the same technique. Springtime, when the three yang energies are in full bloom and the yang energy is rising, and nighttime, when the bright moon hangs in the sky and the yin energy is rising, are both auspicious times for observing the qi.

Earth's energy has five colors. Golden yellow and purple energy is auspicious, signifying wealth and prosperity. Black with a slight gray tinge indicates an area with extremely strong yin energy, making it easy for unclean things to possess one, leading to both financial and personal loss. White, like a thin mist, signifies the presence of yin evil spirits, an omen of impending death, and is extremely unlucky. Red signifies bloodshed and disaster. Dark blue and black indicate a sudden attack by evil spirits, imprisonment, legal troubles, financial ruin, and death are imminent.

Right now, what Master Fei could see was a very ominous white mist, as thin as fog and serpentine, winding its way toward the village.

Chapter 21, Part 1

Master Fei stood gracefully atop a small, round mound at the end of a mountain valley, surrounded by dense shrubs, making this secluded spot difficult to spot unless one got close.

"The yin energy is escaping from underground and heading south towards Fenglingdu. I'm certain the ancient tomb is right here," Master Fei declared loudly.

At this moment, the moonlight was hazy, and all was quiet. People felt a cool breeze on their bodies, and their pores felt tingly...

"Mr. Fei, why do I feel like my hair is standing on end, like I'm getting static electricity?" Mayor Guo asked, quite surprised, as he touched the skin on his arm.