I had wanted to warn him. In the end, I shook my head and made no attempt to stop him.
Lin Xianguo had probably thought his decision through. If I swallowed my pride and pleaded, I would only make myself a laughingstock.
Besides, I did not want to abase myself before Lin Yueru.
Once father and daughter had gone, Uncle Qiu came to my side. 'A marriage arranged by the Plain-Robed Ghosthand isn't so easily broken. Your grandfather may be dead, but that doesn't release Lin Xianguo from the promise. I expect something will attach itself to him tonight. Before long, he'll come looking for you.'
He spoke with complete confidence, though his eyes were cold. His confidence was in Grandfather.
The coldness was for Lin Xianguo, who had failed to keep his word.
It wasn't that I had to marry Lin Yueru. We had met only once; my feelings for her could hardly run very deep.
Yet knowing Grandfather had arranged our childhood betrothal had made me glad to see her. Perhaps that was fate, something settled before we were born.
'Take this matter seriously. It's the marriage your grandfather left for you. You must follow the path he laid out, or no one can say what will happen. That girl's fate pattern and destined fortune are unusual. Remember that.'
Perhaps he saw that I was lost in thought. He patted my shoulder and spoke with earnest concern.
In truth, I disliked the idea of marriage settled by parents and matchmakers.
I had never left the village, but my views were modern enough. This was no longer the old feudal society. People should be free to fall in love.
A marriage ought to rest on affection. A few words from someone else should not decide two people's lives.
Still, I could not disregard Grandfather's wishes. And I did like Lin Yueru. I nodded my agreement.
'Don't worry about Lin Xianguo's safety just yet. A little more punishment will do him good. But his decision will affect Yueru as well. Go to the Lin residence in a couple of hours. I'll give you the address.'
Uncle Qiu seemed to have everything arranged. My own arts allowed me to divine certain things.
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But beside him, I was like a child. I had thought myself capable of standing alone. With an elder considering every need, I felt like a green boy who understood nothing.
'There's one thing above all you must remember. Under no circumstances are you to sleep with Yueru before you marry her. It's absolutely vital. Don't forget.'
He fixed me with a suddenly solemn stare.
I was embarrassed. I had never even held a girl's hand, and here he was talking about my sleeping with Lin Yueru.
His words put an image in my mind despite myself, leaving my mouth even drier.
But he was entirely serious, neither teasing nor mocking me. I nodded and promised.
'I need to get ready for that amusement park. Do as I've told you. I'll send someone over if the shop needs watching, so don't worry about it. Call me when you're finished. Here's a key. Go to the address I give you and let yourself in. You'll stay at my place.'
He handed me a bunch of keys, treating me without the least formality.
Anyone hearing us would have thought we had known each other for years.
I took the keys, and he went about his preparations. The problem at the amusement park must have been serious. He took great care, packing many talismans and ritual implements.
I wondered what was so strange about that place on the west side that even a man of his skill had to approach it so cautiously.
Uncle Qiu left first. Half an hour after his departure, I hailed a taxi and gave the driver the Lin family's address.
When I reached the gates, I stared in astonishment. This was no mere villa. It was an enormous estate.
Bodyguards in dark glasses stood at the entrance. Their presence alone would have been enough to make a timid visitor hesitate to approach.
I stayed outside the gates, looking around.
Before long, two people came out.
One was Lin Xianguo. The other was an old man in a traditional Tang-style jacket. Despite his years, his face was ruddy and he looked full of vigor. Mystic yang energy emanated from him.
He was plainly a feng shui master. His mystic yang energy was substantial, though still a little weaker than mine.
My hearing was unusually keen. Even at that distance, I could hear their conversation.
'Master Zhao, I've turned down the marriage arranged by the Plain-Robed Ghosthand, but I can't help worrying. He was a renowned feng shui master, after all. Could refusing it bring trouble on my family?' Lin Xianguo asked this supposed Master Zhao.
He looked anxious. As I had suspected, he believed deeply in feng shui.
The layout of his estate made that clear. Feng shui formations were everywhere; every object had been placed with a purpose. Even the central pool helped draw in wealth.
The pool completed the arrangement. Without guidance from a skilled practitioner, Lin Xianguo could never have known how to create such a formation.
He had believed enough to accept Grandfather's final divination before his business had prospered. With it, he had received all Grandfather's destined fortune and built this immense wealth.
Now he was breaking the betrothal at a word. Of course he had misgivings. If he dared do it despite them, there could be only one explanation: someone was backing him.
I wanted to see who had the nerve to take his side in this.
'Don't worry, Mr. Lin. With me, Zhao Qiankun, here, that so-called Plain-Robed Ghosthand can't cause much trouble. If he were alive, I might show him some respect. As things stand, there's nothing more to discuss.'
The old man in the Tang-style jacket had named himself Zhao Qiankun. He spoke with supreme self-assurance.