Posted on December 9th, 2017SRGGD: Chapter 4Come visit novelall.com instead
Hit on the Head by a Clay Buddha (3)
Grandma was probably too taken aback as she just blankly stared at the old priest, unable to say anything.
Yang ZiMei took a look at the priest then turned to look at the archaic thread bound books on the nearby bookshelf. She raised her juvenile face and with a mature tone asked, "Priest, if I learn Dao from you, can I really become able to use the techniques to induce fortune and avoid calamity, to go against heaven's will and change one's fate?"
The astonishment in the old priest's eyes deepens.
Such words couldn't have possibly come from the mouth of a 5 years old little girl. But such has appeared, what kind of devilish child is this?
The old priest stooped down, picked her up and brought her over to the bookshelf. Pointing at the various thread bound books says, "These are the treasured metaphysics materials left by this one's forefathers. Comprising of spiritual, medicine, cosmology, fortune telling, divination of the Five Arts. Supposing you have a certain amount of cultivation, you could become able to induce fortune, avoid calamity, and defy heaven's will to change fate." (1)
As a swindling charlatan for over ten years in her past life, she never really believed in the so-called physiognomy techniques. So she thinks that he's just humoring her and had casually said those easy words.
"Aren't divination, fortune telling, geomancy, and physiognomy just things old superstitions used to cheat people?" Zang ZiMei, who couldn't care how the other would regard her young age, continued to seriously ask. (2)
"Old superstitions?" The old priest had a disdained expression and let out a snicker, "True metaphysics is a kind of broad and profound philosophy coordinating the yin and yang elements of the body to gain insight into abstruse theories even science cannot explain. It has thousands of years of history and development, how can it be just superstition?"
Right after the old priest finished those words, he felt that the contents were too abstruse. Even the old madame next to him didn't understand what he said so how could he hope for a five year old child to?
However, he discovered that this child seemed to have understood. With a blinking a pair of black shiny adult-like pondering eyes while looking at the books on the bookshelf.
"Okay! I want to learn metaphysics from you!"
Yang ZiMei nods and got down from the old priest's arms, who was still carrying her, as she seriously said those words.
She had gone through an incomprehensible situation like her rebirth so why can't she believe in a mysterious thing like metaphysics? It's reasonable that it exists. Since it could affect the Chinese people for several thousands of years, leading followers to have incomparable belief in it, there must be its own truths. It definitely isn't the same as the blind master in her past life, learning a little superficial knowledge to cheat money. (3)
In the last life, there was a very famous fortune teller in city A and every day, there'd be long lines of prodigious individuals lining up to get divinations. They could induce fortunes, avoid calamities, and charged highly, at least a hundred thousand.
This filled her with incomparable envy, jealousy, and hate. She could sit in the streets all day without attracting a single customer. Even if there was a customer, the amount they're willing to spend is extremely little, only a few kuai. (4)
At that time, she couldn't understand why even though she was similarly using fortune telling to cheat others but the difference in treatment between the two was so immense.
Thinking about it now, they probably truly had the skills and knowledge to induce fortune, avoid calamity, reveal the correct paths to defy heaven and change fate.
The old priest, upon hearing that she would accept, was very happy and impatiently said to grandma: "Since this child wants to become my disciple, she should stay on the mountain. When there's time, I'll bring her down the mountain to visit the family".
Grandma's face showed she was at a loss.
The old priest represented the deities. Accepting her granddaughter as disciple to pass on any transcendent Dao not only made her happy but worried as well.
Yang ZiMei, thinking of the tragedy that will start when she is six years old and not knowing if it would change, she wants to cherish the current warmth of the family before her. So, she's not willing to be separated from them.
"Master, I don't want to stay on the mountain all day. I want to be with my family members. So, I'll wake up every morning at six to come study on the mountain then return back home in the afternoon.", suggested Yang ZiMei.
Probably becoming accustomed to her mature way of speaking, the old priest no longer looked at her with astonishment and just treated her the same as an adult. Contemplating a bit, he nodded, "Very well. Only that, our metaphysics are vast and profound, it'll take more than half a day to complete the study. When you're not on the mountain, as long as you're able to complete the assignments I give, it'll be good."
Yang ZiMei doesn't know what kinds of assignments he'll arrange for her but believes it certainly won't be impossibly difficult and nodded her head.
Moreover, she also wants to quickly acquire some skills in a year's time to help her family avoid the calamity of extermination and rewrite her sorrowful life.
"Can you read these words?" Her priest master asked as he pulled out the <book> from the bookshelf.</book>
Yang XiMei nodded, "Some but not a lot."
"Revered priest, this child's father is a teacher so she can recognize quite a few words." Grandma said from the side.
"Good, today you'll take this book home to memorize. Any words you don't understand, ask your father and any theories you don't understand, come to me." Said the priest master.
Yang ZiMei sweated a little as she looked at that thick book but didn't say anything and receives the it.
If it can change her fate, let alone memorizing a complex ancient book, even if she had to do something more difficult, she must accomplish it.
"Then, every morning at six, this one will wait for you at the mountain base." After the old priest finished speaking, he went to sit on the bed that Yang ZiMei had been on, closed his eyes in meditation and no longer paid any attention to the two.
Grandma took Yang ZiMei to leave.
After returning home, her mom, Huang XuiLi saw the bandages on her forehead, hugged her grievingly and asked what had happened.
Grandma then recounted all the details to them.
"Sweetie, this child is really beset by disasters. My pitiful sweetie." Huang XiuLi hugged her tightly with eyes full of pain.
Feeling the loving warmth of her mom stirred up even more longing from Yang ZiMei. She used her little arms to embrace her mom tightly.
1. 山、医、命、卜、相 - Five Arts.For more info click
2. Geomancy is also Feng Shui here. But might as well use the fancier name.
3. Could have been translated as people in general but just that she's (setting) in China so Chinese people.
4. Kuai is the less formal version of Yuan. Like bucks to dollars.