Although I understood the reason behind it, ordinary people like them did not, and explaining it to them was useless. In the end, not only did I refund his divination fee, but I was also thoroughly scolded by them, attracting a large crowd of onlookers. Although the onlookers were all villagers from my own village who knew of my abilities, after such a blunder, some of them began to doubt my skills.

Of course, the mysteries within a well are far more than just this. Wells are also connected to many aspects of feng shui and folk customs. If a well is not dug properly, or is dug in the wrong place, or if certain taboos are violated, not only will there be no water springing forth, but it can also bring about many troublesome matters. For example, digging a well in the wrong place might destroy the feng shui and energy veins of a location, and in severe cases, it could cause great harm to people and livestock.

Speaking of well taboos, let me mention one or two, so that everyone can pay more attention in daily life and avoid unnecessary trouble. In "Baopuzi · Weizhi" it is said: "Take one step on top of a well, and your lifespan is reduced by three years." This means that people should not step over a well, as it will shorten their lifespan. There is also a saying that peach trees should not be planted by a well, because peach trees are believed to ward off evil spirits, and if a peach tree is planted by a well, it will cause great disturbances, making the well restless. If the well is not at peace, how can water spring forth? Of course, since wells connect to the underworld, it is also very inauspicious for daily items to fall into a well. For example, if a hairpin falls into a well, it is as if a person has entered the underworld—a sign of great misfortune. There are also many folk taboos regarding wells, such as the belief that one should not sharpen knives by a well, because the ancients believed that wells were inhabited by ghosts, and sharpening a weapon in front of a ghost is extremely ominous.

There are countless well taboos in folk tradition, but nowadays, not many people know about them. Only some elderly people are still familiar with the details, while young people may have never even seen a well, since every household now has running water, and few still draw water from wells. However, it is true that many strange things happen by wells, and when I was eighteen, I almost lost my life in a well. But that is a story for later.

Back to the main point, I passed the first hurdle after my birth, but things did not go smoothly afterward. I was sick all year round—just as a minor illness would heal, a major one would strike. In short, I was never free from minor ailments, and major illnesses came one after another, tormenting my family terribly. The most outrageous incident happened when I was about fifteen. That year, my family had just built two new rooms. Strangely, I did not get sick that year, and my parents even said it was a relatively smooth year, with no illness or pain. But just a few days later, while I was helping my parents cook at home, I accidentally started a fire and burned the two newly built rooms to the ground! In short, I never had a smooth life growing up, and my family was reduced to poverty because of me, not even having a decent house.

My parents also knew that all the misfortune over the years was brought by me. After all, they understood that these years of hardship were because I was collecting debts from them. But they never blamed me; instead, they loved me dearly. I knew they never saw me as a debt-collecting ghost, but, like all parents, cherished me as their treasure. As for my name, it was because they wanted to pay off the karmic debts from my previous life as soon as possible that they named me "Edward", hoping to clear the debts quickly and live a normal life.

Of course, I knew nothing of these things when I was young. It was only when I left home at eighteen that I learned about them from my parents. Even after learning about these things, I doubted their truth for a time, until I later studied Daoism and gradually came to believe. Before that, I was a Red Guard who opposed fortune-telling and superstition, determined to overthrow all monsters and demons! As for why I later came to believe in these things and even joined Daoism, let me explain slowly...

Chapter 7: Haunting at the Ancient Pagoda

Of course, I knew nothing of these things when I was young. It was only when I left home at eighteen that I learned about them from my parents. Even after learning about these things, I doubted their truth for a time, until I later studied Daoism and gradually came to believe. Before that, I was a Red Guard who opposed fortune-telling and superstition, determined to overthrow all monsters and demons! As for why I later came to believe in these things and even joined Daoism, let me explain slowly...

August 18, 1966—a day I remember vividly. On this day, a million people gathered at Tiananmen Square in the capital to celebrate the "Cultural Revolution." The Chairman received Red Guards from all over the country, and among those Red Guards was me. That year, I was exactly sixteen.

That year, we took to the streets to "Smash the Four Olds." The so-called "Four Olds" referred to old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits. During that time, like thousands and tens of thousands of other Red Guards, I raised the iron broom and became a steel warrior defending the Chairman.

After the street battles, we began to flood into temples and historical sites, destroying statues of gods and Buddhas, archways, and steles, searching for and burning books and famous paintings, and of course, we would never let off those folk shamans and charlatans who pretended to be gods and ghosts!