Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Two

The yin-yang master, an elderly man with graying hair and an unremarkable appearance but vibrant spirit, stood among the villagers with a calming presence.

The villagers respected him, not quite reverently but unconsciously allowing him to take the lead.

He spoke differently from the other villagers, calm and measured: "It's all about timing and destiny. Different choices lead to different outcomes."

"Impossible, yin-yang, you told me my daughter-in-law was definitely carrying a boy..." Grandma Lin’s eyes filled with tears, almost pleadingly looking at the yin-yang master, "My grandson is the only heir of the Lin family, how could he have a daughter?"

The yin-yang master sighed, helplessly responding: "It's not the old society anymore. Whether it's a boy or a girl doesn’t matter. Don’t be too fixated, open your mind."

With these words, he immediately garnered everyone's support.

"Yes, yes, a boy or a girl, they are the same. Grandma Lin, please let this go."

"The doctors have work to do. It's not right to block the hospital entrance. Let's disperse."

"After all, it's understandable at your age to be slow in changing your mindset. Wait for your grandson to return, and have a good talk with him..."

"The new mother is still in the hospital and needs care. Instead of causing a scene here, it would be better to go look after her. Otherwise, she'll surely hold a grudge for this commotion..."

Just like when they arrived, the villagers gradually started to leave.

Standing helplessly, Grandma Lin clutched the yin-yang master's hand desperately: "You said my daughter-in-law was carrying a boy. How could it be a girl? You’ve always been accurate; this can't be a mistake..."

The yin-yang master patted Grandma Lin's hand, consoling her: "Don’t worry so much, it's only the first child. There’s always a chance for more."

Finally, her grip loosened, her knuckles whitening with strain. She stood dazed for a while, not fully awoken from her dream of a chubby great-grandson, appearing lost.

Her actions rendered her somewhat pitiable.

Xu's mother softened her tone: "Grandma Lin, your son and grandson have always worked in the city, leaving your daughter-in-law with you. Hasn’t she been good to you? Why hurt her over a nonexistent great-grandson?"

Intending to persuade Grandma Lin to apologize, Xu's mother was taken aback when Grandma Lin stiffened her neck: "I lived fine in my home before she came. I always took care of her; when has she ever taken care of me?"

"This old lady is beyond help," Xu's mother shook her head, regretting her wasted sympathy.

The yin-yang master felt a gaze unlike the respectful looks of the villagers, more audacious and scrutinizing.

After the villagers left, he saw who it was and asked: "Young man, do you believe in ghosts and deities?"

"What if I do? What if I don’t?" Shen Wang boldly met the yin-yang master’s gaze, "What, you want to read my fortune?"

"Why not," the yin-yang master said, unfazed by Shen Wang's attitude. He looked at him with the indulgence of an elder, speaking gently, "Have you been feeling chills in this summer heat, feeling weak?"

Shen Wang, with his right hand casually in his pocket, didn’t respond.

Unperturbed, the yin-yang master continued: "You have a ghostly aura about you, the look of someone haunted by a vengeful spirit. But judging by your appearance, you are of great fortune. Such minor spirits can’t harm you. If you have time, visit a Taoist temple or monastery."

The minor ghost in his pocket stirred discontentedly.

Shen Wang nodded, "Oh, actually, I don’t believe in such things."

Everyone present could tell that Shen Wang was not favorably disposed towards the yin-yang master.

Xu's mother, who greatly respected the yin-yang master, awkwardly tried to smooth things over: "Sorry about that, this boy is my son Cheng's classmate. He's from the city and doesn’t really believe in these things."

"That’s understandable," the yin-yang master nodded thoughtfully, sighing, "The knowledge of Chinese metaphysics is extensive and profound, but there has been a gap in passing down these traditions, so it's normal for city folks to be skeptical."

After speaking, his gaze shifted to Xu Cheng, softening considerably: "Cheng, why didn’t you tell grandpa you were home? Won’t you visit me?"

"I just arrived this afternoon and planned to visit you in a few days," Xu Cheng replied like a well-behaved younger family member.

"Good, good," the yin-yang master smiled, his wrinkles smoothing out as if he really were Xu Cheng's grandfather, "Your birthday is in a couple of months."

"Turning twenty, a significant age for adulthood in ancient times. You should have a coming-of-age ceremony... Remember to come back; grandpa will celebrate it for you."

After exchanging a few more words with Xu's mother, the yin-yang master left, reminding Shen Wang before leaving: "Young man, better to believe and be cautious. When you have time, visit a temple or Taoist monastery, even if just for sightseeing."

After seeing off the yin-yang master, Xu's mother returned to the hospital room to care for the new mother. Shen Wang and Xu Cheng found a secluded corner in the hospital.

"Shen, what’s up?" Xu Cheng, puzzled about being pulled into this dark corner, asked.

After a few seconds of thought, Shen Wang replied as tactfully as possible: "That yin-yang master, he doesn’t seem like a good person."

Xu Cheng responded in disbelief: "Really?"

The little ghost, sitting on Shen Wang's shoulder, swung his legs: "The black aura around him is so dense that I can’t even make out his face."

Shen Wang nodded in agreement with the little ghost’s observation.

The yin-yang master appeared kind and gentle, yet the black aura swirling around him was denser than that of Jiang Lin, who had died wrongfully.

Standing there, the swirling black mist around him moved without wind, obscuring his features with an overwhelming sense of resentment and malevolence.

"He must have blood on his hands," Shen Wang speculated.

There could be no other explanation for such intense resentment.

Xu Cheng was stunned: “No… really?”

The yin-yang master looked to be in his sixties or seventies, but in reality, he was over ninety. Only his snow-white hair betrayed his age.

Having served as a yin-yang master for decades, his real name had become untraceable. Known simply as Mr. Lin or Lin Yin-Yang, he was frequently consulted by villagers for weddings, funerals, relocations, and disaster removals.

Besides common yin-yang master duties, Lin Yin-Yang had a unique skill: he could determine the gender of unborn children and even bless couples with children.

Over the decades, his exceptional skills earned him high respect in the village. Despite having no wife or children, he lived a contented life.

"Maybe because he has no children of his own, he’s always been nice to me..." Xu Cheng said with mixed emotions, "When I was young and often sick, it was he who cured me."

It was also because of Lin Yin-Yang that Xu Cheng had always been aware of a secret world beyond the understanding of ordinary people.

He was the first to unquestionably believe in Shen Wang's abilities.

Hearing Xu Cheng's words, Shen Wang's first reaction was: "The yin-yang master can also bestow children?"

As one of the folk trinity, the yin-yang master usually dealt with feng shui, performed shamanic rituals, played the suona at funerals, and recited eulogies... Although yin-yang masters from different regions might have slight variations in skills.

But none of those seemed to relate to bestowing children.

"He can help people who have been unable to conceive," Xu Cheng thought for a moment and added, "and even help families who have been unable to have sons, have one."

"Quite the formidable abilities," Shen Wang mused, nodding thoughtfully, "You know where he lives, right?"

Xu Cheng hesitantly asked, "...What are you planning to do?"

"I want to see what secrets he's hiding."

Under Shen Wang's coercion and persuasion, Xu Cheng reluctantly circled the hospital for a long time, eventually hailing a taxi to Lin Yin-Yang's home.

Torn between the Lin Yin-Yang he had watched over him growing up and his trusted friend Shen Wang, Xu Cheng sat in the car, conflicted: "Maybe it's all a misunderstanding? Nothing serious has ever happened in the village for years, no sudden deaths, no disappearances..."

The idea of someone being a murderer was too far-fetched and unbelievable for most ordinary people.

Shen Wang glanced at him but didn't reveal anything.

Judging by the level of Yin Sha (malevolent ghost energy) on Lin Yin-Yang, one life wouldn't suffice to produce it; it would take at least several, and those victims would need to have died tragically and with great resentment.

Even the strange ghost energy around Xu Cheng, which had always been hard to fathom, seemed to come alive and surge outward after Lin Yin-Yang appeared.

"Are you visiting the yin-yang master for something?" asked the friendly and talkative taxi driver. "Is someone in your family ill, seeking help for exorcism or healing?"

Xu Cheng was unsure how to respond.

Shen Wang replied calmly, "Yes, master, how did you know? Have you visited him too?"

"In these eighty miles around, who doesn't know Lin Yin-Yang?" the driver laughed heartily. "My mother used to have nightmares every night. We went to the hospital, but the doctors insisted she was fine, just under too much stress."

"It was Yin-Yang who came, drove away the evil spirits, and cured my mother... I'm not boasting, but I've seen a lot, and I've met other yin-yang masters in nearby towns. None of them are as miraculous as our Lin Yin-Yang."

"He's really skilled!"

Shen Wang also smiled, "With such great skills, why doesn't he work in the city in an official department, instead of hiding in the countryside?"

Others might not know, but those within the metaphysical community are aware that big cities not only have metaphysical associations formed by cultivators but also special departments sanctioned by the state.

This Lin Yin-Yang, who could see the ghostly aura of a small ghost and was skilled in physiognomy and divination... In big cities, many would treat him as an honored guest, yet he chose to hide in this obscure, remote village.

If it wasn't for his chance encounter with Xu Cheng, no one in his profession would even know of his existence.

"People in the city don't believe in these things. Only us country folks believe..." The driver didn't find it odd and stated it as a matter of fact.

They chatted and laughed along the way, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. After getting off the car, Shen Wang and Xu Cheng received the driver's contact details, who offered his services for their return journey.

Xu Cheng pointed in a direction, "He lives quite secluded, halfway up the mountain. We'll have to walk a bit."

Shen Wang looked up and almost wanted to turn back.

Despite it being night, a layer of flickering red resentment shrouded the mountainside. Even from this distance, Shen Wang could feel the bone-chilling cold.

The little ghost, without knowing when, had already hidden in Shen Wang's pocket, trembling incessantly.

"This shouldn't be." Shen Wang couldn't figure it out. In these peaceful times, with no recent deaths or disappearances in the vicinity, how had this old man managed to create such a spectacle?

Xu Cheng, unaware of what Shen Wang was pondering, looked back confusedly, "Shen Wang, why are we standing here? Let's go up, aren't we going up?"

As Xu Cheng turned back, Shen Wang saw his face directly.

The faint grey aura around Xu Cheng's brow had turned ink-black, interspersed with striking crimson. Oblivious, Xu Cheng stood ahead, waving at Shen Wang, “Come on, we'll be there in about fifteen minutes.”