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In Longhui County, Shaoyang, Hunan, there is a peak known as White Horse Mountain. It is celebrated as Central Hunan's Highest Peak, with the main summit reaching an elevation of 1,780 meters. Atop the mountain stands a temple called Baolian Temple, also referred to as Baolian Xian Temple. The temple faces east while being situated to the west.
The ancient temple was established during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty. According to the Daoguang edition of the Baokeng Prefecture Gazette, Liao Youshang noted, "At the mountain's peak lies an ancient temple, housing statues of three goddesses, serene and dignified. When inquired by an old monk, he said these are Wang's Daughter, who came riding on three white horses during the Yuan Dynasty to hide in this peak, hence the name." Standing at the summit on a clear day offers a breathtaking view of the entire Longhui County. The mountain ranges stretch endlessly, showcasing beautiful scenery, especially when witnessing sunrises and sunsets from White Horse Peak.
I first connected with my master the night before a class trip to watch the sunrise at the peak during my junior high school years. As time passed into modern days, the monks inside no longer shaved their heads and donned monk robes daily. The temple had also strayed from its pure Buddhist practices.
There were also Taoists at that time. My master resided at Baolian Temple. At the foot of the mountain lies a village called Dashuitian Village. This story unfolds in that village...
It was around the summer of 2003 when I had just graduated from junior high school and had spent little time with my master. That summer was my first experience following him for cultivation throughout the entire break. Back then, I was still quite naive; many years have passed since then, and my memories were not very clear. However, during my recent visit over May Day to see my master and reminisce about that time, I revisited his notes and pieced together some fragments of memory.
The story goes that there was a Zhang family in the village consisting of seven members: grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, two sons, an uncle, and an aunt. Both the uncle and aunt were unmarried.
In those times, families with only three children were relatively rare. This was not due to financial constraints; rather, they were considered well-off in the village. In 1998, they built a three-story house made of large red bricks. However, starting from 2002, their family faced a series of tragic events. Within just over a year from 2002 to 2003, the father, uncle, younger son, and aunt all met untimely deaths!
First, during spring plowing in 2002, Zhang Father was plowing with an ox when he fell off a field ridge on his way home. The ridge was not very high—less than four meters—and below it was a rice paddy. Unfortunately, Zhang Father's head struck a metal blade beneath the plow and he was discovered hours later; by then he had already passed away.
Then during the summer vacation of 2002, the elder son and uncle inexplicably went swimming at Papaya Mountain Reservoir together. The reason for saying "inexplicably" is that it was quite a distance from their home to Papaya Mountain Reservoir; back then there were no vehicles available and walking would take over an hour. There were ponds within the village for swimming; it was unclear why they chose to go so far away to swim. They never returned and both drowned.
By summer vacation in 2003, Grandpa Zhang and Grandma Zhang took their younger son to town for market day while Aunt stayed home to cook. Perhaps due to too much firewood in the kitchen, an accidental fire broke out. Aunt mysteriously perished in that fire! It was termed mysterious because the kitchen door had been inexplicably locked from outside. At that time most doors used padlocks; sometimes due to inertia when closing a door it could easily latch itself shut from inside. With several bundles of firewood just brought into the kitchen, once a fire started there would be no escape.
These consecutive events could no longer be explained as mere coincidences. The villagers held strong beliefs regarding such matters; Grandpa Zhang hurried up the mountain that night to find my master.
I remember clearly that Grandpa Zhang arrived at night around 9 PM; I recall this vividly because it was late and most people were already asleep. My master had already gone to bed as well; since I had classes normally during term time, my master urged me throughout summer vacation to memorize scriptures and learn talismans and spells... By then I was already drowsy when suddenly I heard urgent knocking at the door which startled me awake; I thought my master had discovered me slacking off and I would face severe punishment.
Once I realized it was knocking at the door I hurriedly ran to open it. Upon opening it, Grandpa Zhang rushed in and immediately asked where my master was. Seeing his darkened expression and sweat on his face indicated something serious had happened; I quickly led him to find my master in another room.
Once inside he began explaining what happened to my master while I went outside to fetch Grandpa Zhang a cup of well water. Before I could bring it inside, I saw Grandpa Zhang pulling my master out from the room in haste; my master hadn’t even put on his outer robe properly as they hurried down the mountain together.
I hurriedly asked my master where he was going, and he told me not to follow him and to go back and continue memorizing. I acknowledged him and watched as they quickly descended the mountain with their flashlights.
The next morning, around five o'clock, I got up but didn't notice my master had returned. I was puzzled about what had happened. Why was he still outside overnight? He had never done this before. The kitchen in the temple was already filled with smoke, indicating breakfast was being prepared.
After washing up, I picked up my master's handwritten spellbook, intending to practice reciting at the mountain top. Just as I stepped out of the temple gate, I saw my master returning in a hurry. I rushed to greet him and asked what was going on.
He said that I shouldn't go up today; after breakfast, we would go down to Grandpa Zhang's house together. He then went straight into his room to start packing. After breakfast, my master led me down the mountain directly to Grandpa Zhang's house. On the way, I asked him why he hadn't returned last night.
He explained that he had stayed at Grandpa Zhang's house, wanting to see if there were any spirit disturbances.
I asked if there were any signs of such disturbances.
He replied that it was strange because there were no indications of any spirit activity at all. So he hurried back early in the morning to get some things and planned to investigate further.
Then my master instructed me that once we got down the mountain, I should just watch and help carry things, not to speak out of turn or move around unnecessarily.
I nodded in silence as we quickly made our way down. It took us about an hour to reach Grandpa Zhang's house. The kitchen was completely devastated, and the two upper floors were also blackened by smoke, looking quite shocking!
At that moment, my aunt's corpse lay in the center of the main hall. My master, being experienced, used some simple methods for dealing with such situations. After securing the doors and windows of the main hall and asking the family members to step away, he set up a soul-calling array on the Eight Immortals Table in the main hall. He found a piece of clothing that my aunt had worn in life and began performing the Call of Souls ritual, his skilled hands moving so swiftly that it left me dazzled. In less than thirty seconds, he successfully summoned my aunt's spirit.
It was my first time assisting my master with such matters. Watching my aunt's spirit appear at the main seat of the Eight Immortals Table made me feel a chill run down my spine despite having learned these techniques; seeing it for the first time was still overwhelming. However, my master had already instructed me not to speak or be afraid—just to watch quietly.
I forced myself to calm down and dared not look directly at the spirit but found my gaze drawn toward it involuntarily. With my master present, I didn't flee; instead, he instructed me to recite a Courage Spell. After finishing it, I indeed found I could control my gaze away from the spirit.
The sight of her spirit was truly unsettling; her entire body was tattered, her head charred black with singed hair, and in some places, I could see her pale scalp peeking through. Thankfully, her corpse was covered with a blanket; otherwise, I might have burst into tears from fright.
Perhaps due to the severity of her burns, direct communication wasn't possible. My master took out some rice and scattered it on a blank space on the table before starting to communicate with the spirit using the rice. At that moment, I couldn't understand what was happening; all I saw was one person and one ghost manipulating the rice on the table while I stood by the door too afraid to approach, overwhelmed by what was unfolding before me as I continuously recited the Courage Spell.
After about three minutes, once my master had sent off the spirit and dismantled the array, he instructed me to open the doors and windows for them to come in. When they entered, my master said everything had been clarified. During the fire, it turned out that wind had blown the door shut and locked it. Moreover, my aunt's spirit hadn't seen any wandering spirits around either; thus it wasn't a case of spirit mischief at all.
What happened with Zhang Father, the younger son, and the uncle? Due to the long passage of time, I could no longer call out to Call of Souls. My master was momentarily at a loss, but after thinking for a moment, he said we should stay here one more night to confirm whether there was any Spirit God present.
I wanted to object; I didn't want to stay in this place. Just as I was about to speak, my master fixed a stern gaze on me.
"What are you afraid of? If you're scared of this, what are you even learning for? If you can't get through this hurdle, you might as well pack your things and go home tomorrow."
Although I felt wronged, I forced myself to appear strong and replied, "I'm not afraid at all."
...
As midnight approached, my master held a compass and searched around the house for spirits. He then used a Water Bowl inside the house. Aside from my aunt's soul, there was no sign of anything from the spirit realm. We spent the night inside the house, and everything remained calm and peaceful.
The next morning, my master told me to head up the mountain first while he went to find a friend. He instructed me to familiarize myself with the basics of the Soul Calling Array and its incantations. After lunch, I was to come down (in our area, lunch is usually around three or four o'clock). He would check my progress tomorrow.
I obediently walked up the mountain and did as my master instructed. Later, I learned that the person my master went to see was named Zhang Tuozi, an expert in feng shui. This Zhang Tuozi later became my Second Master; all my knowledge of feng shui came from him.
After lunch that afternoon, I returned to Grandpa Zhang's house around six o'clock. My master and his companions had already finished eating. I saw a short, thin old man with a slight hunchback holding a compass, discussing something with my master. The cigarette butts on the ground indicated they had been talking for quite some time.
I called out to my master and walked over. He introduced me, saying, "This is Master Zhang. He specializes in Homesteads, Yin Houses, spot selection, naming, and renaming—he's a Senior Master."
Then he turned to Master Zhang and said, "Zhang Tuozi, this is my disciple I mentioned."
I hurriedly greeted Master Zhang. He looked me over and smiled as he touched the back of my ear before examining my palm. He circled around me a few times, leaving me feeling quite bewildered.
I looked at my master in confusion; he merely smiled silently back at me without saying anything.
Just when I was feeling uncomfortable with all this attention, Victim Grandpa Zhang approached carrying two hoes and a shovel.
My master instructed me to take the shovel and follow him as we walked toward a Sophora Tree in front of their house.
Then they began digging under the tree. I was puzzled and didn’t dare to ask. How could anyone have the mood to dig at a time like this?
In less than ten minutes, I heard Master Zhang exclaim, "This is it!" I hurried over to take a look and saw an iron box containing several pieces of animal bones. Later, I learned they were cat bones, along with some small scissors.
Before I could examine it closely, Master Zhang cursed angrily, "Wicked, truly wicked!"
The master also looked grim and said, "How could this happen? Who does such a thing?"
I had no idea what was going on, but I knew it wasn’t the right time for me to ask questions.
Then Master Zhang said, "Let’s go; there’s more to find!"
We moved around to the back of the house where there was a grave. It was said to belong to Grandpa Zhang's grandfather. Master Zhang bowed three times before the grave and then turned his back to it as he walked away. After taking seven steps, he told the master and Grandpa Zhang, "Dig here." This time, in less than five minutes, they unearthed a bundle wrapped in a red cloth bag. Inside were some charred bamboo sticks—seven in total—each inscribed with the names of Grandpa Zhang's family of seven.
Master Zhang angrily remarked, "Just as I thought." He filled in the hole again and then led everyone in bowing three times towards the grave before we all walked back to the front of the house. He asked Grandpa Zhang if that Sophora tree should be kept. Grandpa Zhang replied that it should be preserved as it provided good shade.
By now, night had fallen. Master Zhang said, "I’ll give you some cinnabar. After 11 PM tonight, draw nine red circles on the tree and tie this red string around it. I've already broken this formation for you. First, handle Sister Mei's matter." Master Zhang's tone was not very pleasant; it seemed he was reprimanding Victim Grandpa Zhang.
At that moment, I felt a bit dazed. From searching for scissors to finding bamboo sticks—how had Master Zhang done all this? I had previously read some basic books on feng shui in the master's room but had never encountered such a miraculous case. No wonder feng shui has been passed down for so many years without decline; it truly possesses its unique and magical qualities. Throughout this entire affair, I felt like nothing more than an observer.
Every cause has its effect, yet I remained unaware of the reasons behind it all until later when I learned from the master about the entire situation. The cycle of cause and effect dictates that good and evil are self-determined. As the old saying goes, those who are pitiful must have their own faults.
Later, when I heard the master recount what had happened:
When Victim Grandpa Zhang built his house, he consulted a feng shui master named Zhou. This person had some genuine skills but became greedy due to Grandpa Zhang's family's wealth and charged three times the usual price. Since Grandpa Zhang was unaware of industry standards at that time, he didn’t pay much attention to the cost. They agreed that payment would be made to Master Zhou on the day they moved in after completing the house.
Although Master Zhou charged a high price, he did a lot of work for the house's feng shui. He spent an entire week searching for a Sophora tree with suitable height and age to place in an appropriate location. Every aspect of the layout was meticulously crafted. He also put considerable effort into acquiring various feng shui items and even set up a clever wealth-attracting formation that would ensure thirty years of worry-free living and smooth financial luck—truly worth that price.
However, on moving day into their new home, Grandpa Zhang somehow learned about Master Zhou's previous charges and ended up paying only one-third of what was agreed upon. This was something Master Zhou could not accept at all.
From Master Zhou's perspective, his initial greed was a flaw, but he later made amends through his actions. This was not a significant issue. However, Grandpa Zhang's contradictory behavior completely enraged Master Zhou's desire for revenge.
I am not being alarmist; if you offend a truly skilled Feng Shui master or someone engaged in metaphysics, they can easily make your life difficult without leaving any trace or evidence. Just like in the field of Ghostly Affairs, there is an unspoken rule: when dealing with unfamiliar clients, it is perfectly acceptable to request half of the commission upfront or a small deposit. We are not afraid of you backing out because we have ways to ensure you pay a much higher price.
So, friends, in the future, try not to act inconsistently in such matters.
Everything has its cause and effect. When you plant a seed, be prepared to bear the fruit. Whether that fruit is something you can handle is entirely beyond your control; it depends on the other party's character and cultivation.
By the way, let me mention that bad Feng Shui regarding the Luantou. This was explained to me by Second Master during a conversation after I paid my respects to him.
As everyone knows, every house or courtyard has its own wealth position, which is determined by the owner's Birth Date and Time and the Five Elements. Then we determine what should be placed at that wealth position. The Sophora Tree represents the wealth position of the entire house. It can be said that Master Zhou actually meant well for Grandpa Zhang. As long as any tree is planted in that position, it would suffice; however, Master Zhou took it to the extreme. He spent an entire week searching for the perfect Sophora Tree. Based on its growth and shape, this tree at the Feng Shui wealth position could ensure a continuous flow of wealth for thirty years.
Of course, this is just one aspect of many. However, that position is not only a wealth position but also a fierce position in the Seven Luck Plate, belonging to Earth and requiring Wood to overcome it. Moreover, it needs Yin Wood, specifically the Sophora Tree; other trees might not suffice to counteract it. Thus, the significance of this tree is immense.
When Master Zhou faced Grandpa Zhang's contradictions, he had warned him that if he continued to be so stubborn, he shouldn't blame him if something went wrong. However, Grandpa Zhang was someone who responded better to soft approaches; not only did he disregard this warning but he also spread rumors in the Village about how Master Zhou charged exorbitantly and deceived people. This not only tarnished Master Zhou's reputation but also made him want to back out of paying even one-third of what he owed.
Master Zhou had never faced such disrespect locally; those who sought his help were always respectful. However, this time he was genuinely furious.
He used metal scissors and boxes to counteract the Sophora Tree. He set up five elements properties with two pairs of scissors wrapped in plastic bags filled with water, one pair bound with iron wire, another pair tied with red string, and two more wrapped in black paper mixed with plastic ash. In other words, these seven pairs of scissors represented different elements; Cat Bone was used to enhance Yin Qi while suppressing Yang Qi for better effectiveness.
I remember asking Second Master why scissors were used instead of kitchen knives or axes. Second Master explained that those targets were too large and costly. I then asked why such destructive power was necessary. Second Master replied that it was because of the Sophora Tree; think about it—when the character for Huai (槐) is overcome by Jin (金), what does it become? I was astonished when I realized it became 'ghost' (鬼).
Second Master said this arrangement was clever; if done correctly, it would attract wealth and ensure safety. If destroyed, however, it would become a very sinister Luantou. With this setup, what could originally protect for thirty years would only safeguard for three years. Once those three years passed and the fierce position unleashed its power, the wealth position would cease to exist altogether—especially since the ancestral grave behind the house would be threatened by sharp bamboo spikes—greatly amplifying the power of the Luantou in front of the house. If one were to invoke ghostly powers at that point, the consequences could be dire—perhaps even leading to family ruin. I won't elaborate on the principles behind this as it would take too long and may not be fully understood by everyone.
Fortunately, we discovered this early on; we were able to dispel this harmful Feng Shui before it caused damage. Second Master noted that four out of seven scissors were already rusted and completely lost their luster—only two wrapped in water remained intact: one bound with iron wire and one tied with red string. If we had discovered this later when all three remaining scissors had rusted away completely, Old Zhang Family would have been doomed.
That was my first encounter with the immense power of Feng Shui and solidified my determination to learn from Second Master. However, on my first day of training with him, he made me kneel down and swear an oath: Feng Shui can save lives but can also harm them; you must always remember that regardless of your reasons, you must never use Feng Shui to harm others. If you do so against this principle, you will face severe consequences known as Five Deficiencies and Three Shortcomings.
I have spoken, and I have acted. And I will continue to do so in the future!
Afterward, I had the fortune to visit Master Zhou. He no longer practices his craft, and there is little to show for it; he has no children and lives in solitude.
I inquired about the past events, and he said that he had charged based on a mindset of doing as much work as he was paid for. It was only later, when he couldn't make sense of things, that he committed those unforgivable acts.
I told him that it wasn't entirely his fault. He mentioned that before that incident, he had been very kind to Grandpa Zhang's family.
When they were struggling, he had offered many feng shui adjustments for free, yet they repaid his kindness with ingratitude... As the old man spoke, he turned and went inside.
Do not easily hurt someone who has been good to you; encountering such a person in life is rare.
There is something that should not be toyed with: trust.
There is something that should not be deceived: feelings.
Otherwise, you will lose those who care for you. Once lost, they will not return.
This applies to familial bonds, friendships, and love alike.
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