Chapter 28: The Heretical School of Feng Shui Masters

The collateral descendants of the Ye family were in a state of absolute panic. Having tasted the sweetness of power, they were unwilling to surrender it back to the direct line of the Ye family.

Ye Beiquan, the third master of the Ye family, was fast asleep in bed with a beautiful, sultry woman lying beside him. Just as he was deep in slumber, the door was suddenly pushed open. Ye Wugang rushed into the room in a panic, his voice laced with urgency.

"Grandfather, it’s a disaster!"

Disturbed by the sudden noise, Ye Beiquan, who had been sleeping soundly, felt a surge of irritation. He glared at Ye Wugang with eyes full of disgust. "You scoundrel, who let you in here? Whatever the matter is, can't it wait until I wake up?"

Ye Wugang persisted, "Grandfather, there's no time! I have to tell you now. That old geezer Ye Qingtian’s eyes have suddenly recovered, and all the other direct descendants of the Ye family have regained their health overnight."

"What?" The anger that had just filled Ye Beiquan’s face vanished, replaced by shock. He couldn't believe it. That old man Ye Qingtian was on the verge of death, and the other direct descendants were either blind or mute—how could they have suddenly recovered?

He scrambled to sit up in bed, staring at Ye Wugang, and asked in disbelief, "What did you just say? Tell me again."

Ye Wugang repeated himself. Ye Beiquan was struck with utter astonishment. How could their health have been restored in just a single night? What exactly was going on? Suddenly, he realized something. Someone must have tampered with the Ye family's ancestral grave. He hastily grabbed his phone and dialed Ye Wuming’s number.

Ye Wuming, who was lying in a hospital bed, saw his grandfather calling and quickly answered with a respectful tone, "Grandfather, what made you call me?"

"You useless fool! Answer me, has anyone touched the Ye family’s ancestral grave?"

Hearing the rage in Ye Beiquan’s voice, Ye Wuming trembled and stammered, "Grandfather, the... the ancestral grave shouldn't have been touched by anyone."

"What do you mean 'shouldn't'? I don't want to hear 'shouldn't'! Answer me: has anyone touched it or not?"

"I... I don't know."

Ye Wuming still had no idea what had happened, but hearing his grandfather’s furious tone gave him an ominous feeling. He had been in the hospital for days undergoing tests and treatment and had no idea that the locust tree on top of the grave had been removed.

Listening to Ye Wuming’s stuttering over the phone, Ye Beiquan was consumed by rage; he already guessed that the grave must have been disturbed. Years ago, when the opportunity to go to Qingzhou arose, Ye Beiquan had wanted the more mature and steady Ye Wugang to go, but Ye Wuming had insisted on the trip, and he had eventually agreed. Before Ye Wuming left, Ye Beiquan had repeatedly warned him to guard the ancestral grave and ensure that no one touched the locust tree on the mound. Now, his only answer was ignorance.

Ye Beiquan roared into the phone, "You useless piece of trash! Why did I ever let you go to Qingzhou?" He hung up the phone.

Left with the dial tone, Ye Wuming was filled with confusion, wondering what could have happened to make his grandfather so enraged.

After hanging up, Ye Beiquan, now wide awake, hurriedly put on his clothes and said urgently, "Wugang, go get the car. I need to see Master Sato."

"Yes!" Ye Wugang replied and rushed to the garage.

The Master Sato whom Ye Beiquan referred to was a Japanese Onmyoji named Sato Kenichi, one of the top ten masters of the Nine Chrysanthemum School in Japan. The Nine Chrysanthemum School was the largest occult organization in Japan, founded on the basis of Chinese Taoist mysticism and Buddhist esoteric arts, also known as the Shingon and Eastern Esoteric sects. They had fused Chinese Taoism, Feng Shui, and esoteric techniques into a sinister cult, using the chrysanthemum as their emblem.

Ye Beiquan and Ye Wugang soon arrived at Sato Kenichi’s residence. Led by a bodyguard, they entered the villa. It was a building filled with Japanese-style architecture, with chrysanthemums carved into the two large black doors. The emblem was visible everywhere, creating a highly eerie atmosphere.

When Ye Beiquan entered, he saw Sato Kenichi sitting cross-legged on a carpet, with a puddle of fresh, red blood in front of him.

"Master Sato, you... what happened to you?"

Sato Kenichi did not answer. He looked pale and weak, and instead asked in an icy tone, "Three years ago, the 'Ghost Locust Coffin-Piercing Art' I cast upon your family's ancestral grave—has it been broken?"

Last night, Sato Kenichi had felt restless. This morning, he felt a dull ache in his chest and vomited blood several times. He didn't know what had gone wrong, given the many evil deeds he had committed. But as soon as he saw Ye Beiquan and Ye Wugang walk in, he guessed that the curse he had laid on the grave had been broken. When a Feng Shui formation fortified by an Onmyoji’s life force is broken, the caster suffers a backlash—at best, losing years of their life; at worst, losing their life entirely.

Ye Beiquan, still unaware of the severity of the situation, offered a thumb of praise: "Master Sato, you truly are a god. You even knew our ancestral grave had been disturbed."

"Shut up!" Sato Kenichi snapped. "Why didn't you have someone guard that tree? Now that the formation is broken, I have suffered the backlash. You bastard, are you trying to kill me?"

Sato Kenichi was furious, as the breaking of the curse would cost him at least ten years of his life. Seeing his anger, Ye Beiquan hurriedly explained, "Master Sato, it was my oversight. I don't know who moved the tree on the grave. Now, Ye Qingtian and the other direct descendants have regained their health. They will surely reclaim all the power of the Ye family. What should we do now?"

Hearing this, Sato Kenichi lost the desire to bicker over the tree. The priority now was to salvage the situation. He had intended to control the Ye family through Ye Beiquan, and just as success was within reach, the targets had recovered overnight. Having spent three years laying the groundwork only to fail at the last moment was something he could not accept.

After a moment of deliberation, he made a decision, his expression murderous: "I will go to Qingzhou myself."

Sato Kenichi wanted to go to Qingzhou for two reasons: to find the person who moved the tree and to find a way to tamper with the Ye ancestral grave once again. Ye Beiquan wanted to go as well, but he needed to stay behind to deal with Ye Qingtian, so he suggested that Ye Wugang accompany Sato Kenichi to Qingzhou.