PCJ – Chapter 106 The divination is not working

Since they were seeking forgiveness from a deity, it was natural to ask whether the deity would forgive the wrongdoer. This required divination. The divination tools used by Meishan shamans were typically made of goat horns. There were three possible outcomes in divination: Yin, Yang, and Sheng (sacred). A Sheng outcome indicated that the deity had agreed.

To determine if the Fanyan Patriarch would forgive Chen Yingang, Daoist Ma needed to see if he could draw a Sheng outcome. To achieve this, Daoist Ma, after summoning the deity, spoke many flattering words: “Patriarch, the child from the Chen family is young and ignorant. He offended you, but please be magnanimous and forgive him this time. The Chen family has said they will regularly offer incense to you and bring offerings during holidays…”

After finishing his speech, Daoist Ma turned to Chen Yingang, “You little rascal, say nice things to the deity, or you’ll stay crooked-mouthed for life!”

Chen Jinrong and Yang Hongyan also urged Chen Yingang, “Son, quickly say nice things to the deity while kowtowing.”

Chen Jinrong and Yang Hongyan had already taught Chen Yingang what to say, but when the time came, he forgot everything and just kept kowtowing.

“Say nice things! You fool, if the deity isn’t pleased, don’t blame me,” Daoist Ma was irritated by Chen Yingang’s reaction.

In their anxiety, Chen Jinrong and Yang Hongyan themselves knelt before the incense table and spoke to the deity, “Deity, please be merciful. Our foolish son didn’t mean to offend you. From now on, we will worship you as our household deity and offer incense every day…”

Chen Yingang watched his father but made no move.

“Sigh, I’ve done my best,” Daoist Ma said as he took out a set of divination tools from his bag.

“Patriarch, if you forgive the Chen family’s child, please show a Sheng outcome,” Daoist Ma said as he cast the tools.

Chen Yingang, finding it amusing, watched Daoist Ma’s divination with curiosity, not thinking about seeking the deity’s forgiveness.

Chen Jinrong and Yang Hongyan also stared intently at the divination tools, hoping to see a Sheng outcome.

The tools rolled on the ground and finally settled, showing a Yin outcome! The Patriarch did not agree.

Chen Jinrong and Yang Hongyan’s expressions changed immediately. If the deity didn’t agree, their son would remain crooked-mouthed for life. With a disfigured face, finding a wife in the future would be difficult. They hurriedly handed a prepared red envelope to Daoist Ma, “Daoist Ma, please speak more good words to the deity. We need the deity to forgive our son.”

Daoist Ma happily accepted the red envelope but kept a straight face, “I’ll do my best. Your son is just too ignorant.”

Daoist Ma shifted all the responsibility onto Chen Yingang.

“You brat, if you don’t listen to the Daoist and say more good words to the deity, I’ll beat you to death,” Chen Jinrong threatened Chen Yingang.

Only then did Chen Yingang realize the seriousness of the situation and began kowtowing to the deity’s statue, repeatedly saying, “Deity, please forgive me. I will never offend you again. I was wrong this time, and I apologize sincerely.”

Since the Patriarch didn’t agree, Daoist Ma had to continue persuading the deity, speaking more good words and even reading the list of offerings aloud to the Patriarch. He was satisfied with the offerings and hoped the deity would be as well. He cast the tools again.

This time, the result surprised Daoist Ma; it was still a Yin outcome. Usually, if the first attempt didn’t work, the second would succeed, depending on the technique. Daoist Ma had perfected this skill in small rituals, often achieving the desired outcome. But today, it failed twice.

This was problematic; the Patriarch might genuinely not forgive. The Chen family’s child had indeed gone too far, hanging the Patriarch’s statue by the neck with a wire. Such an insult would normally result in immediate retribution from a stricter deity. Daoist Ma regretted taking this job. Helping those who insulted the Patriarch could provoke the deity’s wrath, affecting future rituals.

Chen Jinrong and Yang Hongyan saw Daoist Ma’s changing expression and knew the situation was troublesome. They quickly handed over another red envelope. When inviting Daoist Ma, they had learned of his greed and planned to exploit it.

Daoist Ma accepted the envelope, realizing the complexity of the situation. But having taken the money, he had no choice but to proceed.

This time, Daoist Ma hastily said a few good words and cast the tools again. The result shocked him—another Yin outcome! The tools shattered into pieces, indicating the Patriarch’s anger. A well-used set of goat horn tools, polished smooth by Daoist Ma, was now broken. The Patriarch was furious! This was understandable. The deity was insulted, and instead of seeking retribution, his followers were asking for leniency.

Daoist Ma felt a sudden chest pain and vomited blood, spraying it around the hall. A chilling wind blew out the candles and incense, and the deity’s statue shook violently.

“Mother!” Chen Yingang fainted from fear.

Chen Jinrong and Yang Hongyan rushed to support him.

Daoist Ma wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve and fled, abandoning his ritual tools.

When Chen Yingang woke up, his mouth was no longer crooked, but his eyes looked strange, with shrunken pupils, leaving only the whites visible.

The elders said, “The deity is scolding the Chen family’s boy, saying he has eyes but no vision!”