Yin Yang Diviner

As I emerged from the terrifying memory of my childhood being called back to my soul, I was squatting on the bluestone slab of my second grandfather's old house, my fingertips twirling a freshly fallen locust petal.

The petals were so white they were almost brittle, carrying the lingering scent of sandalwood and mugwort from the old house. A cool sensation crept up my fingertips, exactly like the chilling feeling I had when the weasel spirit bewitched me years ago. I abruptly pulled my hand back, my heart tightening for no apparent reason, only then realizing that I had been staring blankly at the old locust tree in the courtyard for the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn.

The setting sun slanted down the western horizon, bathing the old house's black tiles and white walls in a warm red glow, yet that warmth couldn't penetrate the shadows in the courtyard. The branches of the old locust tree cast a dense, oppressive shadow, like a giant, inverted hand enveloping the entire courtyard. A gust of wind rustled the locust leaves, mingling with the faint turning of the compass needle in the main room, a sound that sent chills down one's spine.

I haven't recovered from that terrifying childhood memory.

It turns out that the nighttime intrusion into the old grave when I was ten years old, and the encounter with the weasel that tried to take my soul, was not just a random act of mischief. Rather, it was my innate destiny that actively attracted evil spirits to my side. It turns out that the strange dreams I've had repeatedly since childhood, the inexplicable chills, and the sudden heart palpitations are all because I was born on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month at the hour of midnight in a yin year.

My second grandfather sat quietly in the old elmwood chair in the main room, stroking the jade pipe with its patina in his hand. He neither smoked nor spoke, just sat there peacefully, as if he had already seen through the turmoil in my heart. His shadow was stretched long by the setting sun, falling on the bluestone slab, overlapping with the shadow of the locust tree, making it impossible to distinguish which part was man and which part was shadow.

I stood up, dusted off my pants, and slowly made my way to the doorway of the main room. My steps were unsteady, and I felt confused, scared, and vaguely lost.

I used to think of myself as just an ordinary unemployed person, someone you wouldn't notice in a crowd. But now I realize that I was born with a destiny that attracts evil spirits and is a "hot commodity" in the eyes of demons and monsters.

"Second Grandfather..." I began, my voice dry and hoarse, still tinged with lingering fear, "Is my fate really so prone to attracting evil spirits?"

My second grandfather looked up, and his seemingly cloudy eyes instantly shone brightly, staring directly at my face as if they could see through all the unease in my heart. He nodded slowly, his tone calm, yet every word struck my heart: "It's not about attracting anything, it's about drawing in evil spirits."

"Attract evil spirits?" I repeated, my back instantly covered in cold sweat.

"A Yin year, Yin month, Yin day, a pure Yin destiny, plus the midnight hour of the fifteenth of the seventh month, is precisely the time of Yin-Yang transition, when the gates of hell are slightly open." Second Grandfather put down his pipe, his fingertips lightly tapping the compass on the corner of the table, the bronze surface emitting a soft sound. "Your soul is ten times purer than that of an ordinary person, and also ten times more fragile. Wandering ghosts can easily possess you, spirits can easily snatch your soul, and even the Yin energy of the earth will actively flock to you."

I trembled as I listened, and instinctively touched my chest—where I was still wearing the peach wood safety buckle my great-uncle had given me when I was a child, a buckle I had never taken off all these years. It turned out that this unassuming safety buckle wasn't just an ordinary ornament, but a talisman that had protected me for over a decade.

"Then...do I have to live in the shadow of these things for the rest of my life?" I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms, the pain keeping me alert. "Will they be watching me wherever I go?"

I recalled the terrifying nightmare I had last night, the water stains by my bed, and the ghostly figure outside the window; a chill ran from my feet to the top of my head. If I had to live in constant fear, always at risk of being possessed, having my soul taken, or being killed, what would be the point of living?

Seeing my panicked state, my second grandfather's eyes flashed with a hint of heartache, which was quickly replaced by solemnity. He stood up, walked to my side, and patted my shoulder. The warmth of his palm seeped through my clothes, calming my flustered mind.

"It was true before, but it won't be true in the future."

Those six simple words acted like a reassurance, instantly freezing me in place.

I looked up abruptly at my second grandfather, my eyes filled with disbelief: "Second grandfather, you mean... I can change? I can stop being targeted by them?"

"Yes." Second Grandfather said firmly without the slightest hesitation, "Either you can hide in places with strong yang energy for the rest of your life, relying on talismans and magic tools to protect yourself, and be a coward; or you can learn my skills, feng shui, talismans, word divination, exorcism, wielding a sword to suppress evil, beating a gong to summon souls, and drive away all the evil spirits that come your way."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable power, echoing through the old mansion.

I looked at my second grandfather, at the compass talismans covering the walls of the main room, and at the peach wood sword and Bagua mirror in the corner. The seed I had planted in my childhood sprouted completely at this moment.

I don't want to hide.

I don't want to rely on others for protection my whole life, I don't want to live in fear my whole life, I don't want to be like last night, huddled in my blankets trembling, I don't want to be like when I was ten years old, when I was almost swallowed by a weasel spirit.

I want to learn.

Learn his skills, learn the rules of this Yin-Yang profession, learn how to identify Yin and Yang spirits, learn how to exorcise evil spirits, and learn how to protect yourself and those around you.

"Second Grandfather, I'll learn." I raised my head, my eyes filled with unwavering determination. All my previous carefree and muddled behavior had vanished without a trace. "I want to learn from you. I want to become a Taoist priest. I want to protect myself."

My second grandfather looked at me, remained silent for a moment, and then a very faint smile appeared on his lips. This was the first time I had seen him truly smile since I came to the old house; there was no inscrutable expression, no serious coldness, only a hint of relief.

"Have you thought it through?" he asked.

"I've made up my mind." I nodded vigorously, without the slightest hesitation.

"Learning this trade is no joke." My second grandfather's expression turned serious again, and he laid down the rules for me, word by word: "First, abide by the rules of the trade, do not deceive the people, do not harm people, and do not make money through magic; second, respect heaven and earth, fear ghosts and gods, do not disturb the graves of the dead, and do not open coffins lightly; third, after three years of apprenticeship, you cannot graduate independently and must obey my orders in everything; fourth, no matter how dangerous the situation, you must not lose your integrity, you must not be afraid, and you must not back down."

Four rules, simple yet weighty.

I know this is not an ordinary master-disciple agreement, but a life-or-death contract in the Yin-Yang trade. Once you agree, there is no turning back, and you can never go back to being that aimless, unemployed bum.

But I don't regret it.

"I've remembered everything, Second Grandfather." I bowed deeply to my Second Grandfather respectfully, "Master."

The moment I uttered the word "Master," I felt as if my entire fortune had changed. The chilling atmosphere in the old house seemed to recede by a third, and the incense smoke in the main room rose gently, circled around me, and then slowly dissipated.

My second grandfather accepted my bow, which was considered a formal recognition of me as his disciple.

"Get up." He waved his hand, sat back down in his chair, picked up his pipe, lit the cigarette, and wisps of smoke rose. "From today onwards, you are my apprentice, Qin Tianyang's disciple, the successor of the lineage of Yin-Yang practitioners, Feng Shui, geomancy, and talismanic arts. You will begin with the basics: learning to recognize the compass, identify directions, recognize Yin energy, and learn to draw basic talismans."

I immediately stood up straight, like an obedient student, and listened attentively.

"The compass is our eyes. It can see yin and yang, distinguish good and bad fortune, and find the dragon vein and the burial site. We rely on it for everything." My second grandfather picked up the compass on the table and handed it to me. "Touch the surface of the compass and feel the movement of the needle. In yin areas, the needle jumps around randomly, in yang areas, the needle is stable, in inauspicious areas, the needle reverses, and in auspicious areas, the needle stays still."

I took the compass with both hands; it was icy cold to the touch. The surface was densely engraved with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces, and the Twenty-Four Mountains, which dazzled my eyes. But when my fingertips touched the surface, the previously steady pointer suddenly wobbled slightly, as if it sensed my pure Yin destiny.

"Don't panic," Second Grandfather said calmly. "Your destiny has activated the compass, that's normal. Practice slowly until you can discern the yin and yang, good and bad fortune within a ten-mile radius just by looking at the needle. That's when you've entered the door."

I gripped the compass, carefully touching its surface, my heart filled with awe. This was no ordinary object; it was the foundation of a geomancer's livelihood, and my future weapon for survival and warding off evil.

For the next two weeks, I completely said goodbye to my days of just loafing around and waiting to die.

Every day, I would get up before dawn and follow my second grandfather to learn how to use a compass, memorize feng shui formulas, remember talismans and incantations, and practice drawing talismans with cinnabar. During the day, I would bask in the sun in the courtyard to determine directions, and at night, I would follow my second grandfather in the main room to learn the principles of yin and yang, identify the types of spirits and monsters, and memorize the rules of the trade.

My second grandfather was very strict with me. If I couldn't remember a compass direction, he would punish me by making me stand under a locust tree and memorize it for a whole morning. If I drew a talisman crookedly, he would punish me by making me draw until late at night, until my strokes were sharp and the talisman was neat.

At first, I was flustered and made frequent mistakes, but later I gradually became proficient and could accurately identify the yin and yang directions in the yard and draw neat talismans for protecting the house and ensuring peace.

Life in the old house was monotonous yet fulfilling.

There was no hustle and bustle of the city, no nagging from parents, only the sound of a compass turning, the scratching of a vermilion pen, the teachings of my second grandfather, and the fragrance of locust blossoms and sandalwood filling the courtyard.

I gradually adapted to life here and gradually stopped being afraid of the cold and gloomy atmosphere of the old house. With my second grandfather by my side and talismans protecting me, those evil spirits no longer dared to approach, and I no longer had nightmares at night.

I thought this apprenticeship would last a long time, allowing me to build a solid foundation before gradually getting involved in real paranormal events.

But I forgot that my second grandfather once said that my destiny was destined to be anything but peaceful.

The peaceful days lasted only half a month.

That evening, just as the sun was setting, the wooden door of the old house was suddenly knocked on urgently.

"Thump thump thump—thump thump thump—"

The knocking was urgent and heavy, breaking the tranquility of the old house and bringing with it an overwhelming sense of anxiety and panic.

I was practicing drawing talismans in the yard when I heard a knock on the door. My cinnabar brush paused for a moment, and my heart tightened for no apparent reason.

Grandpa, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them at the sound of knocking, his gaze instantly sharpening. He put down his pipe and said in a deep voice, "Go open the door."

I put down the talisman, walked quickly to the door, and opened the wooden door.

A middle-aged man stood outside the door, dressed in an elegant suit, his hair neatly combed, but at this moment his face was full of panic, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, his face was ashen, and his whole body was trembling, as if he had encountered a terrible disaster.

When he saw me, he immediately grabbed my arm, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "Young master! Please save me! Please ask Mr. Qin to save me! Something terrible has happened to my family's ancestral grave! Something horrible has occurred!"

Something happened at the ancestral grave?

My heart skipped a beat, and I instantly remembered the feng shui knowledge my second grandfather had taught me—ancestral grave feng shui is related to the fortune of a clan. If something goes wrong, at best the family will be in turmoil, and at worst there will be bloodshed or even the corpse turning into a monster.

The men's panic spread like a plague, and I instinctively looked towards my second grandfather in the main room.

The second grandfather had already stood up, walked to the door, and his gaze fell on the man. He said calmly, "Boss Li, tell me slowly, what happened?"

It turns out that this man was a big real estate tycoon in a neighboring city named Li Guofu, known in the underworld as Boss Li. Half a month ago, his family suffered a series of misfortunes: his business suffered losses, his family members fell seriously ill, and he kept dreaming at night that his elders in the ancestral graves were appearing in his dreams, saying that his living place was damp and cold, and he was suffering terribly.

He consulted several feng shui masters, all of whom said there was a problem with the ancestral grave's feng shui and it had to be moved. But as soon as the workers started digging, something strange happened—the coffin was incredibly heavy and cracked upon landing, countless white worms swarmed out, and the old man inside the coffin was found to have incorruptible flesh, fingernails that grew to half a meter long, and his entire body covered in white hair!

White-haired rice dumplings!

I instantly recalled what my second grandfather had told me about the levels of zombies: the initial stage of a white zombie, covered in white hair, afraid of light and chickens, and once it rises from the dead, it will not recognize its own family!

Mr. Li was terrified. The feng shui masters ran away on the spot. He inquired around and found out that there was an old man named Mr. Qin in the suburbs who was a master of yin and yang. He drove over overnight to ask for help.

"Mr. Qin! Please, you must save me!" Boss Li knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly. "That old man is acting strangely. If we don't do something soon, he'll turn into a zombie and harm people! My entire Li family is doomed!"

The second grandfather looked at Boss Li kneeling on the ground, his eyes darkening. He neither immediately agreed nor refused.

He looked up at me, his gaze deep, his tone calm: "Yiheng, pack your things and come with me."

"This is your first case since you entered the industry."

"It is also the first time that you have truly faced the dangers of the Yin and Yang realms."

I gripped the compass in my hand, my fingertips trembling slightly, not out of fear, but out of an unprecedented tension and solemnity.

I know that my apprenticeship is over.

My journey through Yin and Yang has truly begun.

What awaits me is a hundred times more dangerous than the weasel-like soul-snatching or the nightmare-inducing ghosts—the relocation of ancestral graves, white-haired rice dumplings, and a hundred ghosts roaming at night.

As the sun sank completely below the horizon and night enveloped the earth, the shadows of the old house locust trees swayed like countless lurking ghosts.

I turned and went into the main room, picked up the compass, peach wood sword, and cinnabar talisman paper, and followed behind my second grandfather on the road to the neighboring city.

The night outside the car window grew darker and darker; the road ahead was unknown, and danger lurked in the shadows.

I gripped the peach wood sword tighter and tighter.

This time, I am no longer that coward who only hides behind my master.