The Fat Guy, as if struck by a sudden realization, figured out the meaning behind Uncle Er's words and got extremely excited, yelling, "Damn! No wonder I couldn't figure it out! It's borrowing the dragon!"
Since there were many people in the courtyard at the moment, I didn't want others to know these mysterious matters. Instead of pressing the Fat Guy for more information, I took him outside, saying, "Let's go, Fat Bro, let's take a walk to clear our heads."
As we walked out, we exchanged no words, directly heading to the outskirts of the village. I said to the Fat Guy, "Fat Bro, if you've figured something out, share it with me."
"In the beginning, we didn't understand. The Lin Family's estate doesn't have any kind of dragon vein, and yet it has nurtured a remarkable Feng Shui destiny for Lin Xiaoyao. This was my biggest puzzle. But with Uncle Er's hint, I think I understood. It turns out they are borrowing the dragon from outside!" the Fat Guy said.
I didn't entirely believe in the concept of the dragon's aura or Lin Xiaoyao's magnificent Feng Shui destiny, but I was curious about how the dragon's energy could be borrowed. Who would want to lend out such a thing?
"Borrowing is a nicer term, but in reality, it's stealing. It's a story of that Feng Shui Master. Do you remember that one? Why did the Feng Shui Master's body turn into a dragon after forty-nine days? Do you understand? When a person's body is buried in a dragon's lair, the dragon's energy nurtures the body and it transforms into a dragon. This is the theory above the dragon vein. Of course, it's not really as mystical as turning into a dragon, but one undeniable point is that the body, while absorbing the dragon's energy from the surroundings, can influence the Feng Shui situation. It's not the tomb's location that's significant, but the body. You might not understand, so let me give you an example, if there's a dragon's lair here and a person is buried inside, but then the body is taken out, that body has already absorbed the dragon's energy. Even if another person is buried there, there would be no influence of the dragon's energy. That's why most emperors throughout history built unbreakable imperial burial sites, not because they were concerned about the treasures inside, but because they feared the leakage of the dragon's energy."
"If this is the case, how can the dragon be borrowed?" I was getting confused as the Fat Guy continued.
"Because there is an extraordinary person who used a formation to trap the body, nurtured by the dragon's energy, inside the burial chamber. Now it seems that someone has found a corpse in a dragon's lair in a foreign land and then confined it in the red coffin! Damn, I understand now, why there was a miracle when I opened a coffin that time with that red glow and two bright moons appeared that night. It turns out there was a senior expert's grand scheme. That red coffin cannot be opened!" the Fat Guy exclaimed in surprise.
"During your time in Lin Family Village, have you heard about a very skilled Feng Shui Master? Legends will do as well," the Fat Guy asked me.
I had already understood everything, but I just shook my head at the Fat Guy.
The Fat Guy was continually curious about a particularly powerful person, which was none other than my grandfather! Who else could it be besides him? I recalled the second sentence Uncle Er said to me just now.
"This is the lifelong plan your grandfather made for you."
Suddenly, it seemed as if I understood all the truths.
Grandfather was an incredibly talented Feng Shui Master. He had found a dragon vein in a certain place, but inside the dragon's lair, someone had already been buried. Consequently, Grandfather had broken open the tomb and used the red coffin to seal the body, nurtured by the dragon's energy inside the Feng Shui dragon's lair, and brought it back to Lin Family Village.
By utilizing or rather stealing the dragon energy from this body, he created Lin Xiaoyao's Feng Shui destiny and had been planning all along to get me married to Lin Xiaoyao. All this was part of his plan for my life, intended to transfer Lin Xiaoyao's luck to me, to help me rise from obscurity.
It was the act of stealing the body back then that caused Grandfather to live in seclusion at Lin Family Village. He was afraid of those seeking retribution, and once again, helped my father, which, in turn, led to creating my mother, a paper person.
After understanding all this, I appreciated my grandfather's devoted efforts for future generations but also felt that Grandfather was a lunatic. Only a lunatic would go to such lengths.
Was it really meaningful to plan and steal for over twenty years or more for the sake of that illusory dragon energy?
I've married Lin Xiaoyao, almost working to death every day for her, and nearly all of her luck has been transferred to me, but why have I not flourished? Why is there no hope at all?
If he's not a lunatic, then what is he?
"Little Fan, what are you thinking about?" I was lost in my thoughts but had forgotten that the Fat Guy was still with me.
"Nothing, just a bit shocked by what you said, Fat Bro," I said.
"You're not being honest, there's definitely something you're hiding from me. Come on, spit it out," the Fat Guy demanded, catching on to my avoidance just now.
"I really am not hiding anything. Weren't you just asking me if there's a powerful Yin-Yang Master nearby? I was pondering that question, and indeed, there is, and that's Xu Lin," I deliberately changed the subject.
The Fat Guy looked at me strangely and said, "It's not possible. I know Xu Lin, and he doesn't have that ability. Restraining a dragon and trapping the sun is practically something from legend. This matter still belongs to the Feng Shui Master. When my master told me this story, he said half of the reason why the Yin-Yang Master failed was that his family's fortune wasn't enough, and the dragon's vein was an unbearable burden on their lives. The other half was that the dragon's vein is the most spiritual thing in the world and it can choose its own master. Forcibly trapping the dragon equals going against the heavens and will be met with heavenly punishment. Even if Xu Lin has this ability, he doesn't have the courage to do this. I think that person is definitely a lunatic."
The Fat Guy's words mirrored my recent thoughts; my grandfather was indeed a lunatic.
"Damn, just thinking about this makes me break out in a cold sweat. Your Uncle Er is really wicked. He knew about this, yet still dared to open a coffin with me last time? It's a good thing that natural anomaly scared the wits out of me, otherwise, opening the coffin would have been disastrous. The 'dragon's corpse' inside the coffin, confined and used as a tool for others, will bring immense anger. Once it's opened, it will be a disaster!" the Fat Guy exclaimed, patting his chest.
"Why would it be a disaster?" I asked.
"At the very least, everyone in Lin Family Village would die out. Once the things inside the coffin reanimate, unless a great Taoist immortal came down to suppress it, no one would be able to control it. In other words, among the people I know, aside from your Uncle Er whose background I don't understand, I really can't find someone who could suppress it," the Fat Guy said.
The idea that everyone in Lin Family Village would die out brought to mind the dream I had one night - Lin Family Village was in ruins and littered with corpses. Could this dream really be a warning that one day, a catastrophe would occur at Lin Family Village?
Grandfather, oh, Grandfather, playing such a big game. Now that he's dead, are we, the future generations, going to clean up after him? I thought.
After understanding everything, all the suspicion once again fell on my Uncle Er.
He clearly knew, so why didn't he stop it?
Could it be that Uncle Er wanted to watch as all of Lin Family Village perished? A chilling thought suddenly emerged in my mind, but I quickly discarded it. Uncle Er was not that kind of person, absolutely not.
After realizing this, everything seemed to fall into place. The Black Scorpion's attempt to buy the red coffin wasn't due to the presence of some great treasure inside, but because the body inside is a dragon corpse.
"It seems this Black Scorpion has quite the ambition, actually wants to bring back an artificial Dragon Vein. By the way, Fatty, now that I’m with Xiao Yao and the luck has shifted to me, is that red coffin still useful?" I asked.
"Whether that thing is disposable, I have no idea, I just know that there's such a method. Specific procedures, I don’t understand at all. Among the people manipulating the situation at Linjiazhuang, Xiaofan, don’t be upset when I say this, I suspect that it's your grandfather, Xiao Yao, though she’s noble, in the end, she's just a vessel for the dragon's aura, isn't it ultimately to your advantage? So, it's either your grandfather or your grandmother. Wait, the one able to tamper with Mr. Lin Sanshui's coffin, it must be your grandfather! That's it, it can't be incorrect," Fatty said excitedly.
"Stop talking nonsense. My grandfather has been honest his whole life. Who doesn't know that he was beaten to death with a shoe horn? You say he was a formidable figure, who would believe that?" I pretended to be calm.
"Alright, there is nothing I can't see clearly. If you don't want to admit it, I won't force you. You treat me as an outsider, what can I do?" Fatty even resorted to provocation.
"Believe it or not, I really don't know." I naturally couldn't admit it no matter what.