Chapter Fifty-One: The Shifting of Stars and Things

Teacher Yang recently opened an online store, specializing in selling feng shui items consecrated and empowered by Teacher Xing.

Curious, I asked Teacher Yang, “How is the online store doing?” I had run an online store myself before, so I knew that business wasn’t as easy as people imagined.

A gleam of wisdom flickered in Teacher Yang’s eyes as she calmly replied, “Opening an online store is also a way to find those destined to come.”

Then she told me about an incident. One day, a girl stumbled upon their online shop by chance, wanting to request a talisman from her.

Teacher Yang gently asked, “Hello, which type of talisman are you looking for?”

The girl herself wasn’t sure which talisman she needed; it seemed she wasn’t just there to request one but was seeking some kind of help.

After patiently inquiring, Teacher Yang finally coaxed the girl into telling her story.

The girl was from Yunnan, an ordinary young woman among thousands. Like the nurse Xiaoxue in “Soul Ferry,” who longed to be beautiful, she too yearned for beauty and love. She searched online for a fox spirit and finally placed an order at a certain online shop.

But just after placing the order and making the payment, a wave of unease swept over her. The prior frenzy and impulse dissolved like a cold wind, and her fervent desire to invite the fox spirit vanished instantly, replaced by a return of rational thought.

Suddenly, she regretted it. She recalled various warnings online about the backlash and consequences of inviting a fox spirit and remembered the fate of nurse Xiaoxue in “Soul Ferry.” The thought made her body tremble uncontrollably, and she immediately requested a refund.

Once she submitted the refund application, the previously warm and helpful shop owner’s attitude turned icy. They coldly messaged a few words: “Have you thought it through? You said you wanted the talisman, but now you’re going back on your word. Offending the celestial beings comes at a price. Are you sure you don’t want it?”

Terrified but resolute, the girl replied, “Yes, I don’t want it.”

“Very well. Since you have decided to give up, from now on, no benefactors will aid you, and good fortune will be forever out of your reach. May you not regret it!” The shop owner then sent a picture that flashed vividly on the screen.

In the image sat a nine-tailed fox spirit in meditation, holding a burning white candle in its two claws. The candle was splattered with fresh blood, and its eyes were cold and malevolent, as if piercing through the screen, glaring fiercely at the girl.

The sudden scene frightened the girl so much that she screamed out loud, “Ah!” and scrambled to close the webpage, a nameless fear and unease surging within her.

True to the shop owner’s words, everything changed from that moment on. Her luck took a nosedive, her work efficiency declined, and various health problems began to plague her, though hospital examinations revealed nothing. She couldn’t help but recall the shop owner’s warning. She searched far and wide, consulting those reputed to communicate with spirits, but none could fully resolve her troubles.

One day, she opened her phone and, browsing haphazardly, stumbled upon Teacher Yang’s newly opened online store and hoped to request a talisman that might help her.

After hearing the whole story, Teacher Yang frankly told the girl, “You were used to borrow fortune by someone else. The shop you went to was controlled by an earth-bound spirit known as ‘Chu Ma,’ and since you reneged, you suffered retaliation!”

The girl anxiously asked, “What should I do then?”

Teacher Yang considered for a moment and said, “Your situation can’t be resolved by simply requesting a talisman to turn your luck. You must find a powerful expert in this field to help you. We can help here, but you have to come in person. Since you’re in Yunnan, which is too far away, you will have to find someone locally.”

The girl thanked Teacher Yang for her guidance and decided to seek help from capable people in Yunnan.

Teacher Yang sighed deeply. Raising fox spirits and ancient doll guardians were shortcuts—shortcuts that ended in cliffs. Yet countless people stubbornly walked that path, falling one after another.

The matter of borrowing fortune is closer to us than we think. It is said that over eighty percent of people in this world have been borrowed from or cursed by spells to some degree.

Online, there are often sites masquerading as free fortune-telling services but are actually designed to steal birth data. Some store owners require customers to fill in their birth dates and names to join membership cards. Those involved in the mystical circles use this information to borrow fortune or perform other rituals.

The victims of such curses usually remain unaware or believe such things are far removed from their lives. But those acquainted with the mystical realm understand how common it is to be cursed.

Recently, Feng Huyuan and Xu Linlin have been relentless in pursuing her. On top of that, she recently discovered that years ago she had been cursed with a venomous spell.

One day, she suddenly sensed something moving beneath her skin, causing a chilling sensation. Teacher Xing’s sharp eyes immediately located a venomous parasite under her right arm. With fingers joined and transformed into a blade, a streak of golden light flashed. The parasite was deftly extracted.

It was a yellow and white wriggling worm, still struggling in Teacher Xing’s fingers, disgusting to behold. When the parasite slightly lifted its head, its face resembled a very ordinary woman’s.

Despite the years, Teacher Yang instantly recognized the face as the wife of her first love’s elder brother.

At that time, Teacher Yang and her first love were very close. The brother’s wife, who had married far from Yunnan, was an unremarkable housewife in everyone’s eyes, but she was deeply jealous and resentful. Because Teacher Yang was beautiful and favored by her boyfriend’s mother, the wife secretly placed a venomous curse during an ostensibly ordinary meal.

This illustrates the saying: you may know a person’s face but not their heart. Those who cast curses or place venomous spells are often ordinary people in daily life—perhaps a dancing aunt at the square, a street vendor, or a seemingly typical housewife.

Later, Teacher Yang confided to me that she lay awake that night, unable to sleep until dawn. At four in the morning, she sighed deeply. Unable to rest, she stared at the ceiling, contemplating the recent events.

On the ceiling, a vast nine-grid pattern seemed to slowly emerge from the void, glowing with a faint white light—both real and ethereal.

At that time, she had been studying the art of Qimen Dunjia, a mystical Chinese divination technique. A sudden spiritual insight told her that her malaise might be connected to the “Wu Zhuan Xing Yi” curse embedded in the Qimen Dunjia set by Feng Huyuan.

To break such a curse, one must find the founder of Qimen Dunjia, Jiang Ziya.

Realizing this, she knew she had to seek Jiang Ziya immediately. Brilliant beams of light erupted from her being as the Third Princess of the primordial spirit resolutely set off toward Jiang Ziya’s abode.

Amid swirling mists and dancing cranes, the palace with layered eaves radiated a rosy glow, solemn and full of spiritual energy. The princess descended gracefully on a cloud before the palace.

She wore a snowy-white, moonlit gown embroidered with exquisite lotus flowers that seemed to bloom and fade with her movements, displaying her noble divine heritage. Her raven-black hair was pinned with a purple crystal hairpin adorned with countless dazzling diamonds that complemented her delicate, picturesque face.

She stepped inside without pause, and the heavy palace doors silently opened as if anticipating her arrival. Deep within the hall sat an elderly man in a simple Taoist robe, his hair and beard white as snow—none other than Jiang Ziya, the ancient sage who once presided over the investiture of gods.

The princess lifted her jade hand respectfully and spoke clearly with unyielding resolve, “What happens if a person is cursed by dark magic and dies without ever knowing it?”

Jiang Ziya stroked his graying beard, meeting her gaze steadily. “That is their destiny!” he declared firmly.

The princess furrowed her brow and pressed further, “And if they discover it halfway through?”

Jiang Ziya’s answer was resolute: “That is fate!”

Unwilling to relent, she said, “I was ambushed by Qimen Dunjia’s dark arts in the mortal realm. Now that I have found you, it is destiny that you should help me overcome this.”

Jiang Ziya considered her words thoughtfully. “You are right.”

With a grand gesture, as if commanding the winds and clouds, a radiant nine-grid appeared floating midair. He lowered his gaze and lightly traced the pattern with his finger. The nine-grid obeyed his will, twisting and rearranging itself. It wrapped around Teacher Yang’s invisible “Wu Zhuan Xing Yi” curse, quietly dissolving it like morning mist under the sun.

At the same time, another nine-grid pattern silently emerged beside hers.

Jiang Ziya’s expression grew grave as he explained, “This other nine-grid was secretly cast by Feng Huyuan on Xing Zhenggang. But since Xing Zhenggang is strong and steadfast, the curse remains dormant without manifesting any physical symptoms.” Then, using the same method, Jiang Ziya reconfigured Xing’s nine-grid, dispelling the curse.

Though the curses were lifted from both, the princess remained uneasy and asked, “What if someone tries to harm me again with Qimen Dunjia in the future?”

Jiang Ziya was at a loss—after all, he had created the “Wu Zhuan Xing Yi.” Now that a victim had come to him, he reluctantly withdrew a brilliant golden bracelet from his robe. The bracelet was intricately carved with exquisite patterns, breathtakingly beautiful.

The bracelet seemed to possess a spirit of its own as it floated gently from the platform into the princess’s outstretched palm. Its size was perfect, as if custom-made for her. She slipped it onto her wrist, and the bracelet fit flawlessly, emitting a soft glow that enhanced her aura with an indescribable charm.

Just as she fastened the bracelet, a cover appeared on the floor of the hall, resembling an ordinary sewer lid. Jiang Ziya gestured for her to lift it.

Carefully, she lifted the cover. Suddenly, a fierce wind burst forth, and with a rushing sound, a giant serpent with a slender head and enormous body shot out. It vanished outside the hall in the blink of an eye. Black smoke billowed endlessly from the opening.

When the smoke cleared, a man appeared, driving a horse-drawn carriage. He wore a tall black hat that concealed his face, giving him a sly and eerie air. A gust of wind from the hole blew off his hat, revealing a bald head, thick eyebrows, and flared nostrils—an ugly visage unmistakably belonging to Feng Huyuan.

The wild wind intensified like a runaway tornado. In a dizzying whirlwind, Feng Huyuan’s head was blown off, spinning in the air before being sucked into a bottle Jiang Ziya had produced. His body gradually dissipated into tendrils of black smoke, also swallowed mercilessly by the bottle.

Jiang Ziya sealed the bottle and nodded slightly to the princess. “It is done.”

With his words, the entire divine hall dissolved into nothingness. In an instant, she found herself standing in an ancient Buddhist temple. Ascending the stone steps, she entered the Great Hero Hall, where three golden Buddha statues stood solemnly, radiating dignity and compassion, their merciful gazes seeming to penetrate the mortal world and watch over all living beings.

She recalled how the Jade Emperor and the Buddha were once one.

Slowly kneeling on the meditation cushion before the statues, she bowed reverently. As her eyes closed, immersed in the solemn peace, a deep and melodious voice called softly, “Young lady—”

When she opened her eyes, the three Buddhas remained unchanged, though the central seated Buddha now bore a warmer smile.

At that moment, a breeze stirred the bronze bells hanging beneath the temple eaves, their clear chimes resonating through the ancient hall. Like passing a level in a game, a mechanical voice sounded, “The first trial is complete. Now begins the journey of the second.”