Chapter 12: An Artist

The Lin Family Ancestral Hall occupied a vast area, spanning three courtyards.

Passing through the massive stone archway and entering the main gate of the ancestral hall, one was greeted by a screen wall¹ decorated with an ink-wash landscape. Turning left led into the first courtyard, also known as the outer courtyard. The outer courtyard was small, and the rooms on either side were occupied by the security guards who watched over the hall.

It wasn’t that Xie Sui had any sort of X-ray vision; rather, as soon as their group entered the main gate, eight men in security uniforms emerged from the rooms on both sides of the courtyard.

Looking at those burly guards, who averaged about 1.9 meters tall, and the riot batons and what appeared to be tasers hanging from their belts, Xie Sui couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved.

It was a good thing he hadn’t followed the plan of that overgrown brat Lin Zixin. If he had really tried to sneak in according to that guy’s plan, he, as the executor, would have been the one to suffer once caught.

As expected, no client was worth trusting. A client comes up with a plan in a moment of heat, and it’s always the contractor who ends up in trouble.

Seeing that the newcomers were Elder Lin and Second Uncle Lin, the tense security guards all breathed a collective sigh of relief. After the security captain helped open the gate to the inner courtyard, he led his men back into their rooms.

After entering the outer courtyard from the main gate, one had to pass through another gate to enter the second courtyard.

The second courtyard, or the inner courtyard, was the heart of the ancestral hall and the largest area of the complex. Directly ahead was the main hall for worship, flanked by west and east wing rooms.

The surveillance footage that captured the mysterious disappearance of the three sacrificial animals was taken in this inner courtyard. Upon reaching it, Second Uncle Lin stopped and went no further.

Xie Sui noticed that there were no ancestral tablets placed inside the shrine in the main hall.

As if sensing his confusion, Lin Ziyan whispered beside him, “The ancestral tablets were moved to the rear chambers, the building in the back courtyard. Second Uncle was afraid your livestream might offend the ancestors, so he specifically ordered people to move them while we were in the car.” They had arrived in separate vehicles; Xie Sui and Taoist Master Xuanxu were in one car, while Second Uncle Lin and Lin Ziyan were in another.

Xie Sui nodded to show his understanding.

Although he had promised not to film the tablets during the livestream, Second Uncle Lin didn’t know that. In Second Uncle’s mind, someone brought in by Lin Zixin was likely just as unreliable as Lin Zixin himself. It was only natural to pack away the important tablets beforehand just in case.

While Xie Sui and Lin Ziyan were talking, Second Uncle Lin’s sharp gaze swept over them.

He looked at Xie Sui, a young man similar in age to his nephews, and sneered, “The place where the incidents occurred is our Lin Family Ancestral Hall. I don’t need to say more, do I? Start now.”

Xie Sui nodded, but before he could respond, a figure clad in Taoist robes lunged out from the side, blocking his path.

Both Second Uncle Lin and Xie Sui were stunned.

Taoist Master Xuanxu straightened his fluttering robes with an air of solemnity, drew his peach wood sword², and performed a flourish. “Then this humble Taoist shall not decline,” he said in a deep voice.

Xie Sui was speechless.

Wait, Second Uncle Lin was talking to him just now, right? What was with this old Taoist?

Looking at the sudden appearance of Taoist Master Xuanxu, Second Uncle Lin flashed an awkward but polite smile. “Very well, you first.” Second Uncle’s attention had been entirely absorbed by the abruptly departing Taoist Master Ganchen and the ‘arrogant’ Xie Sui; it seemed he had only just noticed this Taoist’s presence.

Taoist Master Xuanxu raised his head even higher. He waved his hand, and two young men dressed as Taoists rushed out carrying a pile of items, beginning to set up in the courtyard.

Indeed, Taoist Master Xuanxu had brought two assistants and a large collection of ‘dharma tools.’

This was why their group had needed three cars. This Taoist’s assistants and equipment occupied an entire vehicle.

Xie Sui shrugged and stepped aside to watch the old Taoist’s performance.

He wasn’t worried that the other man would solve the ancestral hall’s problem first and prevent him from getting paid. If this matter could be solved by just anyone, Second Uncle Lin wouldn’t have let it drag on for two months. Furthermore, he knew exactly what kind of thing was causing the trouble, and that creature wasn’t something that could be dealt with by simply setting up an altar in the courtyard.

Xie Sui shifted his gaze, looking toward the Pan Pond³ in the courtyard.

The Pan Pond was located in front of the inner courtyard gate, visible as soon as one entered. It was a half-moon shaped pond. In terms of Feng Shui, a Pan Pond generally symbolized blessings for future generations to be scholarly and gain admission to prestigious institutions.

The Pan Pond in the Lin Family Ancestral Hall featured running water. A steady stream flowed into the pond from a hidden pipe, the ripples gently lapping against the carved stone walls as if something living was constantly swimming beneath the surface.

Since it was early spring, there were no lotus flowers or leaves in the pond yet. The water wasn’t clear, making it impossible to see the bottom at a glance.

Looking at the pond filled with dead branches and fallen leaves, Xie Sui let out a long sigh.

Even though it was running water, it probably hadn’t been cleaned for over two months. The water looked dirty, extremely dirty. While Xie Sui didn’t have a cleanliness obsession, he certainly had no desire to swim in water like that.

In the center of the courtyard, Taoist Master Xuanxu had already struck a pose.

His two young Taoist assistants had produced a wide offering table from somewhere. The table faced the main hall door, with a long strip of red cloth laid across the center, extending from the tabletop down to Taoist Master Xuanxu’s feet like a red carpet.

With one foot in front of the other on the red cloth, Taoist Master Xuanxu crouched slightly, holding the ancient peach wood sword in a very stylish pose.

At that moment, a sudden breeze swept through the area. Taoist Master Xuanxu seized the opportunity to flourish his sleeves and flick his wrist. The peach wood sword in his hand actually let out a crisp, metallic ring.

As the sword hummed, three sticks of incense standing in a burner on the offering table several paces away ignited out of thin air.

Yellow paper talismans fluttered, incense smoke curled upward, and Taoist Master Xuanxu stood upon the red cloth with his robes billowing and his long white beard dancing in the wind, looking like a transcendent immortal.

Although Xie Sui hadn’t studied the arts of Xuanmen, he could tell that Taoist Master Xuanxu’s actual skill level wasn’t very high.

However, the Taoist’s dance foundations were quite good. If nothing else, his performance techniques were truly impressive. He was a qualified elderly performance artist dedicated to the traditional arts.

This technique, this basic skill… wasn’t this better than a magic show? Standing next to him holding the phone, Lin Ziyan was completely dazed by the display.

Perhaps because he had seen too many similar performances over the past two months, Second Uncle Lin didn’t react much, maintaining his frozen expression.

Taoist Master Xuanxu had excellent psychological resilience, and he wasn’t purely a performance artist. Having been immersed in the metaphysics circle for so many years, he did understand some shallow Xuanmen techniques.

If he didn’t actually know a thing or two, he wouldn’t have taken such a large commission.

Before coming, Taoist Master Xuanxu had done his homework. As long as he could accurately identify the problem with the Lin Family Ancestral Hall, the Lin Family wouldn’t take back the commission fee even if he couldn’t solve it.

‘Metaphysics’ like his was actually similar to traditional Chinese medicine, emphasizing observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking. As long as Taoist Master Xuanxu investigated the information in advance, read the employer’s face, addressed their immediate concerns, and mastered the art of persuasion, he could successfully bluff his way through a job.

Using the connections he had built over years of wandering the world, he had obtained information from the masters previously invited by the Lin Family, knowing exactly what had happened.

However, just stating the problem wasn’t enough. Before that, he had to fully establish the persona of an expert to give his words weight and credibility.

After posing in the wind for a while and sensing that his Wind Talismans had mostly lost their effectiveness, Taoist Master Xuanxu changed his movements and began walking along the red cloth.

With the help of certain techniques, every step he took looked like three or four. Perhaps due to the dimness of the night, after a few steps, phantoms actually seemed to appear around his legs.

The red cloth strip extending from the altar was only a shoulder-width wide, yet no matter how Taoist Master Xuanxu moved, he never stepped outside its bounds. His movements were large but effortless, and he never once looked down. The red cloth seemed to have erected an invisible wall, keeping Taoist Master Xuanxu firmly within its confines.

Taoist Master Xuanxu moved like the wind, chanting obscure incantations as he walked. His style was exceptionally cool, making young Lin Ziyan incredibly excited. If his Second Uncle hadn’t been standing right there, Lin Ziyan wouldn’t have been able to resist clapping.

While Taoist Master Xuanxu was ‘dancing’, the two young Taoists he brought along also sprang into action. Each took out a strange, oval-shaped instrument and began to play. The profound, low sounds of the instruments echoed in the courtyard, sounding like a victory horn on a smoke-filled battlefield, yet also like the mournful lowing of wind echoing through a deep valley.

With the background music playing, Taoist Master Xuanxu danced even more vigorously, giving the faint impression that he had split into five or six clones.

Second Uncle Lin’s expression also turned solemn. It had to be said that Taoist Master Xuanxu was indeed professional. This move completely intimidated the members of the Lin Family, who didn’t have a deep understanding of Xuanmen.

Just then, Xie Sui faintly sensed something and quickly looked down at his side.

Flickering, transparent figures of children appeared out of thin air, crawling out one by one from the shadow beneath Xie Sui.

It wasn’t just humans who loved a good show; ghosts loved them too.

The Little Ghosts around Xie Sui had been very young when they died. Children were easily attracted to bright colors and lively events, and they were very interested in the theatrical performance of music and dance Taoist Master Xuanxu was putting on.

Seeing this, Xie Sui quickly crouched down, trying to push the crawling Little Ghosts back with both hands.

Unfortunately, Xie Sui only had two hands.

The Little Ghosts, having seen something new and exciting, were like runaway ponies, quickly crawling toward Taoist Master Xuanxu.

Xie Sui felt a bit of a headache. Open flames couldn’t be lit casually in the ancestral hall. If he wasn’t afraid of provoking Second Uncle Lin and causing the commission to be canceled, Xie Sui would have just lit a cigarette to suppress them.

It would have been fine if Taoist Master Xuanxu was just performing, but why did he have to add Xuanmen techniques to the act… Although Xie Sui couldn’t quite recognize what those techniques were, he was certain they included things like soul-summoning or ghost-attracting. Otherwise, these Little Ghosts couldn’t possibly be this excited.

It was just Taoist Master Xuanxu’s bad luck. He who walks by the river is bound to get his shoes wet eventually, and today he had encountered Xie Sui, a mobile ghost domain carrying a pack of Little Ghosts.

Xie Sui sighed softly and stopped trying to block the Little Ghosts crawling all over the ground.

He would wait until Taoist Master Xuanxu finished his performance. With him here, his younger brothers and sisters wouldn’t hurt anyone, so they shouldn’t cause any real harm to the Taoist’s body.

Seemingly sensing that something was wrong, Taoist Master Xuanxu’s figure faltered for a moment before he slowly sheathed his sword and stood still in the middle of the red cloth.

Taoist Master Xuanxu’s current appearance looked somewhat hilarious in Xie Sui’s eyes. He had a Little Ghost perched on his head, one riding his neck, two hanging off one shoulder, and several others crawling up his long robes.

Taoist Master Xuanxu tried his best to maintain his ethereal, immortal-like demeanor, but because of those Little Ghosts, he looked like he was barely holding it together.

However, the Lin Family couldn’t see these subtle changes. Lin Zixin had gotten his fill of the spectacle through Lin Ziyan’s video broadcast, and Second Uncle Lin’s serious expression had softened considerably. Everyone was waiting for Taoist Master Xuanxu to give his conclusion.

Taoist Master Xuanxu stroked his beard pretentiously and said in a deep voice, “If I am not mistaken, there is a problem with your Lin Family’s Feng Shui Formation. Someone must have tampered with the source of the river that governs ‘wealth’ surrounding the ancestral hall, causing the source of fortune to stagnate.”

Second Uncle Lin nodded. This Taoist did indeed have some skill; his conclusion was the same as the other masters who had identified the problem.

“Taoist Master Xuanxu, is there any way to solve this?” Second Uncle Lin asked respectfully.

Second Uncle Lin’s attitude greatly satisfied Taoist Master Xuanxu’s vanity. He stroked his beard again and said with a rhythmic sway of his head, “This matter is not difficult. Your Lin Family’s Feng Shui Formation was arranged by an expert and has the ability to ‘self-heal’. It is not that easily broken. Just wait a few months, and all problems will naturally resolve themselves with time.”

Hearing this, Second Uncle Lin’s face grew even more distressed. “Is there no method that can solve it immediately?”

Taoist Master Xuanxu said solemnly, “With the blessing of the Bugang formation I just performed, the ‘self-healing’ speed of your family’s Feng Shui Formation has already been accelerated. You only need to wait a while longer.” No one knew exactly how many months it would take to fully fade. If he said he accelerated it, then he accelerated it. It couldn’t be verified anyway; this was the art of conversation.

Second Uncle Lin let out a long sigh. He could no longer endure the cycle of hope appearing only to be shattered again and again. Every capable metaphysical master said the same thing: the Feng Shui Formation that high-level expert had arranged for the Lin Family was intricately linked, where moving a single part would affect the whole. They claimed their power was insufficient and did not dare to make changes lightly… Was there truly no master in this world who could immediately solve the Lin Family’s problems? Was the Lin Family really unable to survive this calamity?

“Taoist Master, if the performance is over, please move aside. You and your altar are getting in the way,” Xie Sui’s voice suddenly rang out from behind Taoist Master Xuanxu, giving the old priest a start.

Hearing Xie Sui call his work a “performance,” Taoist Master Xuanxu was livid. Clutching his neck, he spoke with a mix of guilt and exasperation, “Who are you calling a performer? This is authentic Xuanmen Daoist magic! Ow, why does my neck feel so heavy…”

How could it not be heavy… You currently have three Little Ghosts riding on your neck.

Xie Sui inconspicuously reached out his hand, signaling the Little Ghosts on Taoist Master Xuanxu to return quickly.

Xie Sui’s appearance lifted Second Uncle Lin’s spirits. He was now at the point of turning to any doctor in a crisis, pinning all his hopes on Xie Sui. He hoped the man’s skills matched his arrogance; the Lin Family could no longer bear the losses of their economic stagnation.

“Can you solve this matter?” Second Uncle Lin asked, a faint trace of anticipation in his voice.

“It’s very simple, not a big deal at all.” While waiting for the two young Daoists to move the altar, Xie Sui took out his phone and pulled up his livestream.

Before Second Uncle Lin could speak, Taoist Master Xuanxu snorted coldly. Rubbing his waist, he snapped sarcastically, “Anyone can talk big. If you’re so capable, don’t just repeat my conclusions. Go ahead and solve the Lin Family’s problem directly.” Thus spoke Taoist Master Xuanxu, a man who completed commissions by “drawing on the strengths of others” – namely, repeating their conclusions.

Xie Sui was somewhat speechless. Had this old priest swallowed gunpowder? Why was he so aggressive, targeting him at every turn?

“If I solve it…”

“If you can actually solve it, I’ll apologize to you with the etiquette of a disciple!” Taoist Master Xuanxu interrupted Xie Sui, speaking with utter disdain.

Xie Sui felt another headache coming on.

He really didn’t want to take this performance artist as a disciple.

Translator’s Notes