Fellowship with Men Hexagram

The marriage talks were definitely going nowhere.

The moment the rich man's wife opened her mouth, Wang Qilin knew she was a veteran keyboard warrior.

He certainly didn't want a keyboard warrior for a mother-in-law.

Rich Man Lu, however, was reasonable. Seeing there was no hope, he politely saw them out.

As they left, he even said, "Lord Wang, my wife can't hold her tongue and likes to talk nonsense. Don't take her words seriously."

Clearly, he wasn't going to reveal anything about the general's estate, so Wang Qilin asked Wang Liuwu once they were on their way.

Unfortunately, he was just an old farmer with no connection whatsoever to the general's estate, and knew nothing of this secret.

When the two returned home, Xu Da and Xie Hama were nowhere to be seen.

Wang Liuqiao said softly, "After you left, the two lords went out together to catch up with you. Didn't they find you?"

Wang Qilin's face immediately darkened.

A good while later, Xu Da and Xie Hama returned.

Wang Liuwu, who was repairing a hoe, looked up and asked, "Where did you two lords go?"

Xu Da was about to speak, but Xie Hama beat him to it with a smile. "We just wandered around the fields and admired the local scenery."

Wang Liuwu continued repairing the hoe as he said, "You can't blame my son for being picky today. Miss Lu really isn't good-looking."

"Not good-looking? She's practically ugly in a class of her own! Haha!" Xu Da laughed, speaking his mind.

Xie Hama was about to laugh too, but then realized.

They'd been set up!

Behind the tattered paper covering the window, a gloomy face was staring at them.

Xie Hama said calmly, "If I said I used the Qimen Bagua Technique to divine Miss Lu's appearance, would you believe me, Lord Wang?"

"If I said I believed you, would you believe me?"

Xu Da caught on and shouted at Wang Liuwu, "Uncle, you tricked me?"

Wang Liuwu didn't understand. "Tricked you how? My son told me to say that to you."

Wang Qilin walked out angrily. "You two actually followed me? When Miss Lu came out, the ones laughing outside were you two, weren't they?"

Xu Da pointed at Xie Hama. "It was this old toad laughing, not me."

The blame-shifting convention officially began.

Xie Hama said, "Strongman Xu forced me to use a concealment talisman to follow you and watch the fun."

Wang Qilin asked, "A concealment talisman? You have a treasure like that?"

Xie Hama sighed mournfully. "I only acquired that talisman through a chance encounter, yet Strongman Xu forced me to use it today. What a waste, what a terrible waste!"

Wang Qilin sneered. "Take a guess whether I believe that bullshit."

Without hesitation, Xie Hama raised his remaining left hand and pointed at the sky. "If I've told a lie, may the Dao Ancestor strike me with heavenly lightning!"

A cultivator's oath could not escape the five elements and could not be sworn lightly.

Wang Qilin was furious. "You actually used such a precious Daoist talisman just to see what a landlord's daughter looked like?! Fuck, I'm going to kill you both!"

Xu Da hurriedly said, "Don't get angry yet. We didn't just peep on you this time. We also picked up some useful information."

"The general's estate is haunted! The Huang family's young lady, Huang Qingyun, has been plagued by a very powerful ghost. That ghost has already used her hands to kill someone, and now the whole general's estate is shrouded in gloom!"

Wang Qilin asked, "Did that rich couple say that?"

Xu Da nodded. "Yes. After you left, the rich man scolded his wife for not holding her tongue and blabbing about everything. They've been keeping the haunting at the general's estate under wraps. The rich man's daughter is a close friend of Miss Huang, which is how they learned a little about it."

Wang Qilin looked at Xie Hama, who said solemnly, "Lord Wang, did you think I spent a concealment talisman merely to satisfy my curiosity?"

"Didn't you?"

"Not merely. I cast a hexagram for you this morning and got the Fellowship with Men Hexagram from the Book of Changes. That's why I agreed to Strongman Xu's request and used a concealment talisman to follow you, to see how you would fulfill the hexagram."

Wang Qilin said slowly, "The Fellowship with Men Hexagram from the Book of Changes. 'Fellowship with men in the open fields brings success. It is favorable to cross the great river, and favorable for the gentleman to remain steadfast'?"

Xie Hama said, "Correct!"

Wang Qilin pondered.

Taken literally, the Fellowship with Men Hexagram in the Book of Changes described a large group of people appearing together in the open fields, which favored crossing great rivers and mighty currents, and favored a gentleman holding firm to what was right.

By extension, this hexagram spoke of leveraging outside strength. To accomplish what ordinary people could not, and solve problems ordinary people could not solve, one had to leverage outside strength.

Applied to his own circumstances, it meant he needed outside strength to resolve the Minor Seal curse. As for where exactly to find that strength, his experiences today could offer a clue.

Connecting this with the information gathered at the rich man's home, Wang Qilin said, "It looks like we should pay a visit to the general's estate?"

Xie Hama nodded.

Xu Da clapped his hands. "Then what are we waiting for? Come on, let's hurry over before noon. We might even score a free lunch!"

"Strongman Xu, you really have such lofty aspirations!"

"A feast? What feast?"

Wang Qilin waved a hand. "Stop fooling around, you two. Any evil entity even the general's estate can't deal with must be extraordinary. We need to prepare properly. At the very least, we need to go back to the station for my saber."

Stroking his beard, Xie Hama said, "Lord Wang, an ordinary saber won't do if you want to slay ghosts. As luck would have it, this old Daoist happens to know of a fine saber here in your Paifang Township. If you can get your hands on it, heh heh, you'll be like a tiger given wings!"

"What fine saber?" Wang Qilin grew curious.

Xie Hama said, "There's a butcher in your township named Niu Er. He has a butcher's blade."

Wang Qilin shook his head. "Butchers' blades kill livestock. They don't accumulate resentment or retain baleful energy. They're no use."

Xie Hama stroked his beard. "Of course there's nothing special about the blade Niu Er uses to slaughter pigs and cattle, but he also treasures another saber at home, passed down from his ancestors. Do you know what his ancestors did?"

"They were executioners in Auspicious County during the previous dynasty! The saber treasured in their home is a beheading saber!"

Wang Qilin asked in surprise, "How do you know that?"

Xie Hama laughed heartily. "This old Daoist has wandered the world. What is there that I don't know?"

"What's my wife's full name, and where is she now?" Xu Da asked.

Xie Hama froze. "I... I don't know."

"Ptooey!"

Paifang Township was a small place with only one butcher, so Niu Er was also something of a local celebrity. Once they arrived in the township, Wang Qilin quickly found out where he lived.

But their luck was poor. When they reached the butcher's home, an iron padlock hung on the gate.

Wang Qilin was disappointed and was about to ask the neighbors what was going on.

Xu Da sniffed. "Someone's home. I can smell pork cracklings fresh out of the wok!"

Wang Qilin went up and knocked, but there wasn't a sound from inside.

Xu Da pushed him aside. "Why go to all this trouble just to get inside?"

He lashed out with his big foot, and the gate flew open.

At the sound of the gate being kicked open, someone did indeed rush out of the house.

A fat man gripped a pointed boning knife and shouted sternly at them, "You bandits! How dare you force your way into a private home? Is there no law in broad daylight? Aren't you afraid I'll report you to the authorities?"

Xu Da said, "The law? What I say is the law! You want to report us to the authorities? Here's an official."

He stepped aside, revealing Wang Qilin.

The fat man stared blankly for a moment. "You're lords from the Heaven-Listening Bureau?"

Black brocade robes, with direct access to Heaven!

Xu Da said proudly, "That's right."

Wang Qilin cupped his hands. "My apologies, Brother Niu Er. This brother of mine has a fiery temper and accidentally damaged your gate with a kick. But rest assured, there is certainly law in this world, and we will definitely compensate you for the repairs."

Recognizing who they were, Niu Er became deeply apprehensive.

He hurriedly tossed aside his boning knife. "You're too kind, my lord. May I ask what brings you lords here?"

Wang Qilin thought for a moment, but couldn't come up with a good opening, so he simply got straight to the point. "Brother Niu Er, I heard your family has a fine ancestral saber..."

"No," Niu Er hastily interrupted him. "What fine ancestral saber would I have?"

Xie Hama said with a smile, "Don't deny it. Keeping it hidden isn't doing you any good. That saber grew up drinking human blood. All these years, you've only fed it pig's blood and ox blood. Did you think that would satisfy it?"

Hearing this, Niu Er panicked. "My three lords, let's talk inside. Please come in."