Ten Great Yin Commanders?" I looked at my master with curiosity.

　　My master glanced back at me and said, "Yes, you know, Niu Tou and Ma Mian are among the Ten Great Yin Commanders, along with the Ghost King, the Day-Wandering Deity, and the Night-Wandering Deity. Of course, it also includes the Black and White Impermanences."

　　I stared at my master, listening intently. I had heard about the Ten Great Yin Commanders of the underworld before, but I didn’t know who they were.

　　"So, does that mean the Black and White Impermanences are quite powerful too?"

　　"Of course. There are countless ghostly officials in the underworld, and the Ten Great Yin Commanders are the most senior among them. Wouldn’t they be formidable?"

　　I was momentarily stunned, suddenly recalling the Black and White Impermanences who came to escort my grandfather. I hadn’t realized they were among the Ten Great Yin Commanders of the underworld.

　　"What’s wrong, Gouwa?"

　　"Nothing... nothing at all."

　　"Don’t overthink it. There’s a lot to learn in this line of work. You’ll pick it up gradually."

　　"Got it!"

　　As my master and I continued our conversation and walked, we arrived at Wang Chunsheng’s house. The morning light was beginning to break, and daybreak was near.

　　"How did it go, Mr. Liu?"

　　"It’s taken care of. Fusheng should be fine now."

　　Wang Chunsheng and his wife breathed a sigh of relief and began expressing their gratitude to my master.

　　"Don’t rush to thank me just yet. There’s still more to deal with at your home!" my master continued.

　　"What? Is there more?" Wang Chunsheng’s earlier relief was replaced by worry.

　　"Mr. Liu, is there something else at home? Is there still something dirty lurking around?" Miao Cuifen asked anxiously, glancing around nervously.

　　“Come with me!” My master said as he turned and walked outside, with the rest of us following close behind.

　　Once we were outside the house, he pointed to the old locust tree by the entrance and said, “There’s something wrong with this tree!”

　　Wang Chunsheng looked at the tree and asked, “What could be wrong with this old locust tree?”

　　My master walked over to the tree, gave it a tap, and explained, “The tree itself is fine, but its location is the problem.”

　　“But this is an old tree, sir. Our house is new, only a few years old. The tree was already here before we built the house,” Miao Cuifen said quickly.

　　“When you moved in, was Fusheng already born?” my master asked.

　　“Yes, Fusheng was three years old at that time,” Wang Chunsheng replied quickly. He wasn’t sure why my master was asking but felt he had to be honest under the circumstances.

　　“Exactly. Think carefully. Has there been any change in Fusheng before and after you moved here?”

　　“Change?” Miao Cuifen looked puzzled, then glanced at Wang Chunsheng. It seemed she suddenly remembered something. “Oh, yes, Fusheng has been falling ill frequently since we moved here. His health hasn’t been as good as before!”

　　My master sighed and said, “There’s an old saying: ‘A big tree pressing at the gate means no descendants in the family.’ That’s what this situation reflects. If the tree were somewhere else, it might not matter, but it’s right at your gate and even pressing against it. That’s very inauspicious! Just as you’ve said, Fusheng’s health has been deteriorating.”

　　Wang Chunsheng looked shocked and asked, “Sir, does this tree have anything to do with Niu Niu’s situation?”

　　“Think about it. Not only is it pressing against your gate, but it’s also a locust tree. Locust trees are associated with yin, and the word for ‘locust’ in Chinese contains the character for ‘ghost.’ That makes it even more ominous.”

　　As soon as my master finished speaking, Miao Cuifen burst into tears, saying, “It’s all your fault. I told you this tree was a problem, but you insisted on keeping it for the shade. Look at what Mr. Liu said!”

　　“Stop crying. I didn’t know, alright?” Wang Chunsheng said, feeling helpless and frustrated.

　　Just then, their son, Wang Fusheng, came running up and leaped into Miao Cuifen’s arms.

　　“Fusheng, are you okay?” Miao Cuifen asked, her voice trembling with worry.

　　“Yeah, Mom, what’s wrong?” Wang Fusheng looked up with wide, curious eyes, clearly alert and back to his old self, completely out of the daze he had been in before.

　　Miao Cuifen, overcome with emotion, hugged Wang Fusheng tightly while laughing and crying at the same time.

　　Seeing Wang Fusheng so full of life, Wang Chunsheng was completely convinced of my master’s skill. After more than a month of visiting various doctors with no success, it was clear that my master’s intervention had made all the difference. Anyone would be impressed.

　　“Mr. Liu, what should we do about this tree?” Wang Chunsheng asked, still trying to process everything.

　　“You should cut it down immediately. If you wait too long, it could affect not just you and your wife but also Fusheng,” my master advised firmly.

　　“Understood! I’ll take care of it right away!” Wang Chunsheng quickly agreed. Then he turned to Miao Cuifen and said, “Hurry up and get some money for Mr. Liu. Bring a lot!”

　　Miao Cuifen, reacting swiftly, handed Wang Fusheng to Wang Chunsheng and ran inside. When she came back, she was carrying a thick stack of money—there must have been several hundred.

　　I was stunned, thinking to myself that I had never seen so much money in my life. My master must be quite well-off. Were Feng Shui experts really making that much money?

　　But to my surprise, my master took only two bills from the stack: a twenty and a fifty.

　　“This is more than enough,” my master said calmly. Then he turned to me and said, “Let’s go, Gouwa.”

　　I glanced back at Wang Chunsheng’s family, who were beaming with happiness, and I couldn’t help but smile too, feeling a twinge of envy.

　　I had never known my parents, and now my grandfather, who had raised me with so much care, was gone. In this world, I had no family left.Noticing my silence, my master seemed to sense my inner conflict.

　　“Gouwa, from now on, you should stay with me,” he said.

　　I was caught off guard, looked at my master, and smiled as I replied, “Alright!”

　　Once we were home, I poured a glass of water for my master and asked, “Master, why did you only take a small amount of the money when there was so much?”

　　After finishing the water and placing the cup on the table, my master replied, “A doctor’s payment shouldn’t be taken at the door, and teachings shouldn’t be given lightly. A teacher should not take advantage of an opportunity, and the practice of our craft shouldn’t be misused.

　　So, while it’s important to accept payment, you shouldn’t just grab whatever’s offered. You need to have your own sense of fairness. Understand?”

　　“I understand!” I nodded firmly.

　　“Good. Rest for a bit, Gouwa, and then pack up. We’ll be leaving here tomorrow!” my master said.

　　“Okay,” I agreed.

　　By the afternoon, noticing that my master was asleep, I quietly slipped out with some money. I wanted to visit Old Man Li before we left Yaocun. Since I wasn’t sure when I’d be back, I needed to see him now.

　　I hurried to Old Man Li’s house, which was much like my own—an old place surrounded by mud walls.

　　“Grandpa Li!” I called out loudly.

　　“Who’s there?” came a tired, elderly voice from inside.

　　I saw Old Man Li emerge, leaning heavily on a wooden cane. My heart ached; he was even older than my grandfather and seemed to have little time left.

　　“Grandpa Li, it’s me, Gouwa.”

　　“Oh, Gouwa! What brings you here? Come, sit down!” he said, motioning to a nearby wooden bench.

　　I rushed over to help, and we both sat down together.

　　“I just wanted to check in on you while I was passing through,” I said with a warm smile.

　　Given his own family troubles, Grandpa Li had always been kind to me. At least he didn’t see me as a bad omen, and he had a good relationship with my grandfather. I’d heard they used to work and drink together often in their younger days.

　　He sighed, his eyes dimmed by age. “Your grandfather’s gone, and Niu Niu is gone too. It’s just the two of us now. If you’re free, come visit me more often.”

　　“I will,” I said, feeling the weight of his words.

　　"Ahem..."

　　"Are you alright, Grandpa Li?" I asked, quickly standing up and patting his back.

　　"I'm fine, just an old issue," he replied.

　　"I'll get you some hot water," I said, rushing into the house. I poured a cup of warm water from the kettle and, as I was about to leave, noticed a small wooden box on the table. I hesitated for a moment, knowing Grandpa Li would refuse if I just handed him the money. So, I quietly slipped a wad of bills into the box.

　　I went back outside, watched as he drank the water, and chatted with him for a bit before saying my goodbyes.

　　As I walked back, I looked at the sun setting in the west and thought about leaving Yaocun the next day. In that moment, I felt a bittersweet mix of anticipation and nostalgia.