Forbidden Land – CH 048

The fortune teller stared at Zhang Chao for three or four seconds, making Zhang Chao feel somewhat uncomfortable.

The fortune teller stood up and smiled at the two standing in the doorway, saying, “I don’t do fortune telling this afternoon. Come in and sit down; let’s chat for a bit.”

The two walked to a low, round table, took two small stools, and sat down. The fortune teller pulled up a chair and sat down, looking at Zhang Chao, and said in Mandarin with a slight Hangzhou accent, “Young man, does your complexion look good?”

Zhang Chao thought to himself, “Anyone could tell I don’t look well. What’s so strange about that? He’ll probably just say I’m faking it, and if I pay him some money, he’ll help me get rid of some bad luck.” He could only say, “I’ve been sick lately; I’m not feeling well.”

The fortune teller shook his head. “You aren’t sick.”

Chen Rong didn’t seem too surprised and asked, “Master, then what’s wrong with him?”

The fortune teller clicked his tongue and said, “He encountered something bad.”

Chen Rong seemed to know the answer and continued, “Master, what kind of bad thing? Can you tell?”

The fortune teller took a sip of tea and said, “Are you working or students?”

Zhang Chao thought for a moment, “As expected, he’s asking for money.” He quickly said, “We are students; we don’t work, and we don’t have much money.”

The fortune teller smiled and said, “I’m not asking you for money. I said I don’t do fortune telling this afternoon; I’m just chatting.”

Zhang Chao thought to himself, “Sophisticated swindlers never ask for money directly. I’ll see what happens.”

The fortune teller asked again, “You must be going to university; where do you study?”

Chen Rong smiled and replied, “Zhejiang University.”

“Oh, Zhejiang University, a good school, a very good school,” the fortune teller exclaimed. “My niece also got into Zhejiang University last year, and she’s still a freshman.”

Zhang Chao thought disdainfully, “What a coincidence! First, he says he won’t charge money, then he tries to build connections. We’ll see what happens next.”

But Chen Rong didn’t seem to be as silent as he was. Instead, she warmly chatted with the fortune teller, asking what his niece’s major was, what her name was, and if perhaps she knew her junior so she could help her out in the future, and so on.

Zhang Chao thought to himself that Chen Rong was three years older and indeed much more experienced. She immediately made the fortune teller laugh heartily.

After finishing their casual conversation, they got back to the main topic. Chen Rong asked again, “Master, what exactly is wrong with his body? Can you explain?”

The fortune teller said, “You’re university students, studying science. There are some things I might say, but I’m afraid you won’t believe them. What we do, according to tradition, is all ‘superstition,’ haha.”

Zhang Chao thought to himself, how could Chen Rong possibly believe in Buddhism? She seemed to only half-believe what I told her before, and now, for the fortune teller to analyze what was wrong with him, she’s saying she’s a Buddhist.

The fortune teller looked at Zhang Chao and said, “I remember last time I saw you, I told you not to touch anything unclean. Last time, your complexion was fine. Now it’s like this. Have you been somewhere recently?”

Zhang Chao thought to himself, I hadn’t been to the School of Medicine much lately; how could I have been anywhere? He must have been fooled. Zhang Chao replied, “I’ve been staying in my dorm lately and haven’t been anywhere else.”

The fortune teller said, “Did you run into someone?”

Zhang Chao thought for a moment, then realized it was even less likely; he hadn’t encountered any strangers recently, so he said, “That’s even less likely.”

The fortune teller said, “I certainly can’t say what exactly you encountered. Go back and clean your house thoroughly; see if anything is bothering you.”

Chen Rong asked, “Master, will his health improve after a while?”

The fortune teller said, “I can’t just say that lightly.”

Chen Rong smiled and said, “Master, please tell me.”

The fortune teller sighed, frowned, and said, “To put it bluntly, this time, he’s been exposed to something unclean for too long, damaging his soul.” He quickly added, “Just listen; don’t take it seriously.”

Zhang Chao didn’t seem surprised, but Chen Rong frowned and said, “Master, what should we do?”

Zhang Chao thought the fortune teller would finally take his money now that he’d asked what to do, but to his surprise, he did not. He simply said, “Keep your living quarters clean and take your time to recover. It’ll take a month or two.”

“A month or two?” Zhang Chao exclaimed in surprise. “I think I’ll be better next week.”

The fortune teller smiled. “Have you been feeling listless lately? Are you tired at night but can’t fall asleep? Do you have frequent headaches, feel weak all over, and have a poor appetite?”

Zhang Chao started to believe him; his description matched his symptoms perfectly. He quickly replied, “Yes, that’s exactly it.”

The fortune teller said, “Go back and think carefully about whether you might have encountered any unclean spirits. Make sure your living quarters are clean. A week won’t be enough to recover. If you’re in good health, it might take about a month.”

Zhang Chao asked, “Master, what kind of unclean spirits are you referring to?”

The fortune teller said, “For example, things the dead used and some places considered yin.”

Zhang Chao thought of the woman singing opera at the School of Medicine and that woman in ancient costume, and suddenly asked solemnly, “Master, do ghosts really exist? Can people see them?”

The fortune teller laughed. “Even if I told you college students about this, you wouldn’t really believe it.”

Zhang Chao said, “Just tell me.”

The fortune teller said, “These things are a matter of belief. Most ghosts are just spirits, but some are corpses, like jiangshi ^{(reanimated corpse)}. Logically speaking, spirits are invisible to humans; only those with very weak bodies can encounter them.”

Zhang Chao seemed thoughtful. He wondered if he was considered too weak, but his weakness had only started a few days ago; he had been perfectly healthy recently. So, was the woman in ancient costume a person or a ghost?

At this moment, the fortune teller glanced at the computer screen; it was already past 4 PM. He smiled and said, “I’m going down the mountain to go home now. You and my niece go to the same school, right? If you have any questions, just say so, and I’ll see if I can help. Hehe, don’t worry about me taking money; I said I don’t charge.”

Zhang Chao’s trust in the fortune teller grew even stronger. He thought of Bai Qiu again, wondering if her illness could be cured, and decided to have him do a reading. He said, “Master, I’d like to see about our marriage prospects. I wonder if it’s convenient for you to discuss this?”

The fortune teller looked at the two of them and smiled. “Judging from your faces, you two are quite compatible. Bring me your birth dates and times so I can take a look.”

Zhang Chao blushed and said, “Not the two of us, but me and someone else.”

The fortune teller laughed and said, “Then write down both of your birth dates.”

Zhang Chao wrote down his and Bai Qiu’s birth dates on the paper. The fortune teller said, “Do you have a photo of her? Sometimes, just looking at her birthday isn’t enough to give a good reading.”

Zhang Chao took out his phone and showed him a clear photo of Bai Qiu.

The fortune teller looked at the photo of Bai Qiu, then at the birth date on the paper, and frowned slightly.

Zhang Chao said, “Master, is there a problem?”

The fortune teller hesitated, then said, “I have something to say, but please don’t be angry. Let me make it clear beforehand: fortune-telling isn’t always accurate. You students are more inclined to believe in science.”

Chen Rong said, “Master, please tell me.”

The fortune teller looked at Zhang Chao cautiously and asked, “Is your friend still alive?”

“Ah!” Zhang Chao felt a chill run down his spine. Chen Rong, standing beside him, immediately paled.

Zhang Chao said, “Of course she is.”

The fortune teller said, “Then is she seriously ill now?”

Zhang Chao said, “Master, you’re amazing! She really is seriously ill. Do you think it can be cured?”

The fortune teller chuckled, “I can’t say for sure. Modern medicine is so advanced that most illnesses can be cured. But in the fortune-telling business, out of ten fortune tellers, there are bound to be inaccurate ones. You’re students, so I’ll be frank with you; don’t believe so much.”

After a few more casual words, the fortune teller specifically instructed Zhang Chao, “A normal person’s body has ‘blood and energy,’ so unclean things don’t dare approach. A sick person’s ‘blood and energy’ are weak, and some harmful things’ll stick to them. Young man, your current physical condition makes you very susceptible to attracting unclean things. Don’t go to secluded places alone at night; it’s best to stay in places with many people. After a while, your health will definitely recover.”

The fortune teller packed up his shop, preparing to go home down the mountain.

Translator’s Note: There is no Chapter 49. We jump to 50.