Chapter 88
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Qi Wuhuo placed all the items he had purchased into the sword case on his back. Then, unable to resist, he opened the manuscript given to him by Mr. Ao Liu. Amidst the bustling street, he walked forward while slowly flipping through its pages. It was a manuscript on cultivating divine abilities, yet at the same time, it was also a manual on the game of Go. The text began with an explanation of the [Qi] in Go and gradually extended to the [Qi] cultivated by practitioners.
It read: [The art of Go follows Yin and Yang, and the Dao serves as its longitude and latitude.]
“According to the innate, it is Qi(炁); according to the acquired, it is breath(氣). All things in the universe are nurtured by Qi. Qi is fundamentally pure and untainted, thus allowing ceaseless circulation.”
Within it, the act of placing stones in Go was likened to the art of controlling mist and water-based divine abilities.
Profound and meticulous.
Toward the end, it even pointed out the similarities between the Qi of human life and the water vapor between Heaven and Earth.
The young Daoist gazed at the mere forty-five words and could not help but murmur, pondering over them: “At rest, it accumulates. With accumulation, it extends. With extension, it descends. With descent, it settles. Once settled, it solidifies. When solidified, it sprouts. Upon sprouting, it grows. When grown, it flourishes. Flourishing leads to Heaven. Heaven shifts above; Earth shifts below. In harmony, there is life; against harmony, there is death.”
Suddenly, he sensed a presence nearby.
The young Daoist halted his steps and followed the direction of the aura, catching sight of a familiar sign—”Everything Unclear.”
People bustled about on either side, a steady stream of movement, yet this place remained tranquil and undisturbed. The unkempt fortune-teller gazed at Qi Wuhuo, his eyes filled with a hint of astonishment. Qi Wuhuo was equally surprised.
The young Daoist carefully tucked away the manuscript, smoothing out the creases left by his reading, then placed the book into his sleeve. Slightly cupping his hands, he greeted: “We meet again, sir.”
The fortune-teller responded: “You shouldn’t have come.”
His brows furrowed. “Running around recklessly will only get you caught up in trouble. Do you not understand that?”
His tone was curt—yet well-intentioned.
Qi Wuhuo caught the meaning behind his words and asked: “Is it because of the rain?”
The fortune-teller grew slightly impatient. “You already know, yet you still ask me?!”
“These youngsters nowadays, each one is more hot-headed than the last! Utter fools with no sense of Heaven’s vastness or Earth’s depth!”
These words were not directed at Qi Wuhuo, yet the young Daoist still noticed the usually lazy and unkempt fortune-teller looking rather irritated. After thinking for a moment, Qi Wuhuo asked: “Sir, what exactly did you calculate back then? Did you merely state the exact amount of rainfall?”
The fortune-teller shook his head. “I calculated the rainfall, but I never made a bet with him.”
“I merely told him that this time, the rain was different from usual. In the past, whether it rained more or less, it didn’t matter much. The world is vast, and even the number of nations is unknown. Though the land beneath our feet is the very heart of this world, a single rainfall in one province or one kingdom would not draw much attention from those above. They would not be so stringent. But this time is different.”
“This time is completely different.”
“I told him that he had best bring the rain properly.”
“If he wished to gamble, he should do so next time.”
“It seems he did not listen.”
Then, he sneered coldly. “Forget it. Good advice is wasted on a ghost fated to die.”
“A fine death!”
“But your presence here surprises me.”
The fortune-teller stared at Qi Wuhuo with his gray eyes and said: “After all, the one who was supposed to play that game of Go with that old man today was me. Yet, you ended up playing the very match that I should have played—using the very game records that should have belonged to me.”
“This is an unexpected turn of events. Quite intriguing.”
The young Daoist was momentarily stunned. Then, realization dawned upon him.
His skill in Go was merely ordinary. The only reason he had been able to play against the old man—who had studied the game for many years—and even make him ponder deeply, was because of a vision he once experienced in his dream, where he had glimpsed a method to break an ancient, unsolved game scenario. Now, it seemed that this ancient, incomplete game should have originally been played and resolved by the fortune-teller before him and Elder Ao Liu.
Dream and reality seemed to intertwine subtly once more, stirring faint ripples in the young Daoist’s heart.
The fortune-teller shook his head and said: “But in the end, you still played the game for that old man. Since the match has already been played, whether you did it or I did it makes no difference. But here’s a word of advice—try to stay away from this city for a while.”
“It’s infested with bald donkeys.”
Qi Wuhuo was momentarily stunned before realizing that the phrase was a play on the expression [haunted by ghosts].
A complaint, no doubt.
Clearly, this fortune-teller didn’t just dislike young ox noses like himself—he also detested Buddhist monks.
With a casual wave of his hand, the fortune-teller gestured for Qi Wuhuo to head home. Then, he lazily rose to his feet and said: “Off you go, little fellow. Go home and sleep. As for me, I’m off to Pingkang Ward to listen to my beloved play the qin. No time to chat with you here. Besides, the evening drum will sound soon. If you don’t leave the city within three hundred beats, you’ll have violated the curfew. Watch out, or you’ll get a beating on your rear end.”
Qi Wuhuo understood the implied warning. He stood up and bid farewell. Then, after a moment of thought, he asked:
“What will happen to that Water Deity who made the wrong rainfall?”
The fortune-teller smirked. “What will happen?”
“How should I know?”
He lifted his head and gazed at the sky. “Right now, that young Water Deity is probably feeling uneasy after a few days of anxious waiting. He likely believes my warning was just empty words. So, he’s probably in his residence, inviting his friends over, laughing at me while drinking and feasting day and night.”
“But the insects in the mountains know this much—when thunder is about to strike, the first sign is always absolute silence.”
“To ordinary folk, everything seems peaceful. But those who observe the celestial omens can see the suffocating dread beneath the surface.”
“Right now, the many Thunder Generals of the Thunder Department are merely perfecting their formations, using thunderclaps and lightning to disperse lingering malevolent energies.”
“At the same time, they are investigating the formation’s flaws, determining what consequences this escaped evil aura will bring.”
“And the severity of these consequences will determine that Water Deity’s fate.”
“If it’s merely a flaw in the formation—if some malevolent energy leaked but didn’t give rise to demons or bring suffering to the people—then there might still be a sliver of room for negotiation. But if that evil energy has truly spread…”
The fortune-teller had already packed his things, wrapping the paper, brush, and inkstone on the table with a banner that bore the words ‘Everything Unclear’. Tucking it under his arm, he paused and said: “Then let him pray for his own fortune. I can’t be bothered to report this to the Celestial Court. But in the end, they’ve probably already locked onto the culprit. Do they really need a fortune-teller like me to confirm it?”
“If the Thunder Department’s generals intervene, there might be a slight chance of reprieve.”
“But if the ones sent are from the [Northern Pole Exorcism Court]…”
Qi Wuhuo asked: “[The Northern Pole Exorcism Court]?”
He recalled that his teacher had mentioned this name before.
The fortune-teller glanced at him, frowned, and grumbled: “How do you know so little? What on earth has your teacher been teaching you?!”
“Is he herding sheep or something?”
“What a useless old Daoist—I’ve never seen someone so irresponsible!”
He seemed irritated, as if he were in a hurry. But in the end, he still took the time to explain:
“Listen up, I’ll keep this short. The heavens are divided into various departments, and the most battle-ready of them is the Thunder Department. They proclaim, ‘[Each division has mighty generals and fierce soldiers, overseeing the Four Courts with unparalleled divine might—how could they be like the forces of lesser divisions?]’ They are formidable warriors, but also straightforward and prideful to the extreme.”
“Next is the Battle(Dou) Department. Which refers to the [Celestial Star Constellations]. Within this department, ‘Dou’ has deities, the Court has pivots, and the Pivots have chancellors.’ This is why the Supreme Purity Jade Pivot Court is also known as the Battle Pivot Court—it belongs to the Battle Department. And the one who oversees both the Battle and Thunder Departments is none other than the Northern Pole Central Heaven Purple Subtlety Supreme Emperor.”
“He commands the stars and wields the Five Thunders.”
“He is the foremost among the Four Celestial Emperors.”
Qi Wuhuo asked, “Does the Northern Pole Exorcism Court belong to the Battle Department?”
The fortune-teller smirked, then tapped a finger at him and said:
“You’re half-right. The Northern Pole is indeed associated with the stars—but think carefully about what the Northern Pole represents.”
“The Northern Pole is the Purple Subtlety Star.”
“And the [Northern Pole Exorcism Court] answers solely to the Northern Emperor himself, who commands the two great martial divisions of the Heavenly Court among the Four Celestial Emperors.”
“Take note—it answers directly to him. There’s no need to report to any other immortals or gods.”
“Because the Northern Pole Exorcism Court’s Grand Director is none other than the Northern Emperor himself.”
“Its duty is to oversee all ghosts and gods under the heavens. If a god neglects his duty, he is deemed corrupt. If the evidence is conclusive, there is no need to inform the Jade Emperor—the sentence is carried out on the spot.”
“The so-called Northern Pole Exorcism Court is [the investigative division of the Three Realms, the supreme authority over all evils]. Its enforcers communicate directly with the celestial court, handling matters of life and death, slaying demons, exterminating monsters, investigating malicious spirits, and eradicating wicked entities. Their jurisdiction is absolute, and their killing intent is unmatched.”
“If they encounter demons or evildoers—[they kill without offering salvation]!”
“This is why the North is known as the dominion of death.”
“If things escalate to the point of involving the [Northern Pole Exorcism Court]…”
“Heh. Even the Three Pure Ones would be powerless to intervene.”
“The Three Pure Ones, the Four Celestial Emperors, and the Five Directions.”
“When the evidence is conclusive, the Northern Emperor, foremost of the Four Emperors, does not show favor even to those three. Even if one of the Twelve Supreme True Saints of the Jade Purity(Yuqing) were to violate the prohibitions, they would still have to be sent to the Exorcism Court for execution. The Northern Pole’s revered saints are the war gods of the heavens—both celestial star deities of the Heavenly Court and members of the Thunder Division. Their power in battle is truly fearsome beyond measure.”
The fortune-teller fell silent for a moment.
He looked at the young Daoist before him but showed no interest in his origins or lineage.
His instincts, honed by years of avoiding misfortune, warned him against investigating further.
He felt no curiosity—not even about why he had no desire to pry.
Instead, he simply shook his head and said: “Kid, take my advice—stay at home. Right now, all we can do is wait for those Thunder Department gods to finish repairing the formation, assess the losses, and hope this matter ends with the Thunder Department.”
“Whatever happens, do not—under any circumstances—alarm those murderers from [Northern Pole Exorcism Court].”
The young Daoist bowed and said: “Many thanks for your guidance, sir.”
The fortune-teller waved him off indifferently and said: “Consider it a token of thanks for helping me play out that game of chess.”
Then he turned and strolled away. Just as the young Daoist was about to leave, he suddenly noticed a gray-robed monk appear.
The monk glanced at Qi Wuhuo, nodding gently in greeting.
Then, like the wind, he swept past.
The monk pursued the fortune teller directly, but the latter moved at an unhurried pace, always managing to step into [Pingkang Ward] just ahead of him. Pingkang Ward was the most prosperous district in the city, where singing and dancing in the pleasure houses continued unabated every night. Though there was a curfew, it primarily applied to the main thoroughfares, leaving the lively scenes within Pingkang Ward beyond its reach.
Within, the air was filled with laughter and birdsong-like voices, the revelry never ceasing. The indolent fortune teller entered a pleasure house, then turned to the monk and said: “You’re late again today.”
The monk shook his head, showing no sign of displeasure.
He merely sat down before the lavishly decorated pleasure house, quietly meditating as he waited.
His persistence was evident.
Noticing the young Daoist’s gaze, he turned back and greeted him with a slight smile and a gentle nod.
PS:
The Xingqi Technique originates from antiquity, dating back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. It is the root of Daoist internal alchemy practices, as recorded in the Inscription on the Xingqi Jade Pendant, translated by Wen Yiduo.
The Thunder Department and Northern Pole Exorcising Court are based on texts from the Daoist Canon, including the Supreme Purity Jade Palace Five Thunder Great Law Jade Pivot Spiritual Text and the Five Palaces Register of Proper Methods. The Purple Subtlety Emperor comes from Daoist scriptures, not the one from Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi)—that Bo Yikao fellow was far too weak.
The way Investiture of the Gods portrays this… Was Xu Zhonglin really not afraid of getting tied up and beaten by those battle-crazed Daoist priests who actually practice the Northern Emperor’s methods?
