Chapter 1

The term "sorcerer" refers to a general term for people who engage in mysterious activities such as astronomy, geography, medicine, divination, feng shui, and cultivation. The most authoritative book on sorcery is the *I Ching* (Book of Changes), which Confucius revered as the foremost of all classics. Later, there were other great works such as *The Mysterious Physiognomy of Ma Yi*, *The Art of the Hidden Door*, and *The Great Sixty-Four*.

Sorcerers vary in their levels. Great sorcerers assist kings and influence the world, such as Jiang Ziya, Zhuge Liang, Yuan Tian罡, Shao Kangjie, and Liu Bowen, all of whom were skilled ministers and strategists. Lesser sorcerers wander the streets, helping people solve their problems, living a life of hardship and often being seen as frauds.

Wang Baoyu from Dongfeng Village was originally a second-rate farmer. By a stroke of luck, he became a lesser sorcerer and thus embarked on a different path in life.

A lesser sorcerer does not enter the world of martial arts but is famous in the political and business circles; he is not attached to the secular world but has many beautiful women; with a snap of his fingers, he can cause a massive storm; and when the dust settles, there is neither wind nor rain.

Please read the series *The Rogue Sorcerer*.

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The early autumn sun gently bathed the hills, and the plants in the fields basked in the warmth, their leaves stretching out like the arms of a waking maiden. On the hillside, the birch trees were snow-white, the oak trees were fiery red, the pines were dark green, and the yellow pear trees were golden, creating a unique landscape of the northern autumn, known as the "Five-Colored Mountains." It was the season of harvest, with corn, soybeans, and millet ripening and turning yellow and dry. A gentle breeze blew, and the leaves rustled pleasantly.

Dongfeng Village, located in the northeastern border area, was a remote village surrounded by mountains, and it was hard to pinpoint its location on a map. During this season, the villagers rarely went to the fields to work but stayed at home, tidying their yards and preparing for the annual harvest.

The hills were quieter than usual, as if they were basking in the joy of the impending harvest. On such a warm autumn afternoon, a young man suddenly emerged from a deep green pine forest on the eastern hillside of Dongfeng Village. He carried a small basket made of willow twigs and whistled as he walked down the hill. He wore a clean dark blue Zhongshan suit and a pair of clean blue and white sports shoes. His hair was neatly parted in the middle, a fashionable style at the time. He looked quite presentable and was named Wang Baoyu, a well-known second-rate farmer in Dongfeng Village.

In northern rural areas, a "second-rate farmer" refers to someone who is idle and does not engage in proper work. What is "proper work"? Of course, it is farming. Wang Baoyu was always neatly dressed and wandered around aimlessly, and the hardworking villagers, who toiled in the fields, naturally saw him as an oddity and did not look at him with respect.

Mentioning this, Wang Baoyu often felt wronged. It wasn't that he was lazy; who could blame him for not having land to farm? However, Wang Baoyu truly did not want to do farming. It was dirty and tiring, and the thought of sitting in a cart and looking at the stinky cow's butt made him feel unbearable. Besides, with such a small piece of land, even if he worked hard, he could barely make ends meet, and there would be no future, trapped in the mountains for life.

Speaking of Wang Baoyu's background, it evokes a bit of sympathy. When Wang Baoyu was three years old, his father, Wang Wangshan, unfortunately contracted tuberculosis and passed away within half a year, leaving behind a widow and an orphan. His mother, Liu Yuling, was a well-known beauty in the village and loved Wang Baoyu very much. However, Liu Yuling, being a young woman in her early twenties, found it hard to endure the loneliness and hardship of living alone. One day, she ran away with a college student who was sent to the countryside to support agriculture, and she never returned.

At that time, Wang Baoyu was only five years old and became an orphan in his sleep. Unable to open the yard gate, he cried for a long time before the villagers discovered him. This incident became a major news story in Dongfeng Village. The villagers criticized Liu Yuling for being a heartless woman, and there was a lot of gossip and criticism. However, no one was willing to adopt Wang Baoyu. A five-year-old child was already old enough to remember his parents and might run away when grown up, unlike a one- or two-year-old who would stay with whoever raised them.

Just as everyone was unsure what to do with Wang Baoyu, Jia Zhengdao, who lived at the eastern end of the village, came over and offered to adopt him. From then on, Wang Baoyu became Jia Zhengdao's adopted son. Jia Zhengdao was already in his forties and had no children because his wife, Lin Zhaodi, was infertile. He treated Wang Baoyu as his own and loved him very much.

Jia Zhengdao's father was a feng shui master who passed on all his knowledge to Jia Zhengdao before he passed away. As Jia Zhengdao grew older and became less mobile, he could no longer farm and leased his land to others. He then grew a beard, looking like a sage, and focused on his feng shui practice.

Dongfeng Village was a small village with only a few hundred households. The nearest middle school was in Liuhetown, which required a long walk through the mountains. When Wang Baoyu was in middle school, Jia Zhengdao was already in his sixties and had become less strict with Wang Baoyu. Wang Baoyu dropped out of school just before the high school entrance exam, not just because of the long distance but also for a reason he could not reveal.

Wang Baoyu walked down the hill with a small basket containing only a few dozen mushrooms, whistling loudly. The warm sunlight on his face felt very comfortable.

As he passed a barren hill, Wang Baoyu saw no one around and, feeling playful, he opened his throat and sang loudly.

"Beautiful and flirtatious, the young lady enters the green curtain, where a young man awaits. Oh, my love, today we shall enter the bridal chamber."

Wang Baoyu's not-so-melodious voice startled a pair of wild pheasants that were mating in the nearby grass. The frightened pheasants flapped their wings and flew into the cornfield a few dozen meters away.

In the countryside, everyone knows that wild pheasants cannot fly high at first and need to accelerate. Wang Baoyu, seeing this, was delighted and thought, "Damn, if I catch one, I can stew it and have a delicious meal."

With this thought, Wang Baoyu dropped his basket and ran after the pheasants. The pheasants were very scared, looking back as they quickly flapped their wings and dove into the cornfield.

Without hesitation, Wang Baoyu followed them into the cornfield, running fast. After chasing for a short distance, the pheasants disappeared, leaving him disheartened, and he stopped.

"Who's there?" Suddenly, a frightened woman's voice startled Wang Baoyu.

Wang Baoyu looked to his side and saw a woman hurriedly pulling up her pants a few steps away. Her buttocks, which were white and plump, were clearly visible, making his heart race and his face flush.

"Aunt Xiuzhi, what are you doing here?" Wang Baoyu asked, his face red and stammering.

This woman was Wang Baoyu's neighbor, the wife of the fourth production team leader, Zhang Dazhu, named Li Xiuzhi. She had just finished urinating. Seeing Wang Baoyu, she turned around, looking unhappy. She tied her red belt and kicked the dirt to cover the urine stain on the ground.

"Baoyu, what are you doing in my cornfield? Are you trying to steal corn?" Li Xiuzhi walked up to Wang Baoyu, looking angry. Her chest, visible through her flower-patterned shirt, was heaving with anger. Being caught urinating, Li Xiuzhi was both angry and embarrassed, and she looked very upset.

Wang Baoyu regretted his actions. If he had known, he wouldn't have chased the pheasants. Now, he hadn't caught the pheasants and had caused a scandal.

"Aunt Xiuzhi, please don't misunderstand. Two pheasants just ran in, and I followed them. The corn leaves scratched my eyes, and I didn't see anything! I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to!" Wang Baoyu explained hurriedly, pretending to rub his eyes.

"I think you did it on purpose! You're so young and already up to no good! Stealing, stealing, stealing, you're no good!" Li Xiuzhi was still angry, glaring at Wang Baoyu. She wanted to say he was peeking, but held back.

Wang Baoyu was now in a bind. Li Xiuzhi was known for being fierce in the village, and if she started yelling, he would be in trouble.

"Hehe, Aunt Xiuzhi, I really didn't mean to! If I catch those pheasants, I'll give you a female one to stew!" Wang Baoyu smiled apologetically.

This seemed to work, and Li Xiuzhi laughed, scolding him, "Brat, who cares."

Seeing the situation easing, Wang Baoyu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Everyone knows Aunt Xiuzhi is the prettiest in the village, hardworking, and kind. It was just a misunderstanding. Aunt, please don't be upset."

Wang Baoyu's words were true. Li Xiuzhi was considered one of the most beautiful women in Dongfeng Village. Most village women were strong and sturdy, but Li Xiuzhi, despite her age, still had a well-proportioned figure, making many men drool.

Women like to be complimented, and Li Xiuzhi felt very pleased. Her eyebrows arched, and her face turned red. Seeing Wang Baoyu's flustered look, she found him endearing and waved her hand, laughing, "Brat, your mouth is as sweet as honey. I'll let it go, but don't tell anyone!"

"I swear to the Central Committee, I won't say a word." Wang Baoyu raised his hand and swore.

Li Xiuzhi giggled again, but this time with a hint of mischief.

"Baoyu, you said I'm the prettiest. What makes me pretty?" Li Xiuzhi stared at Wang Baoyu.

"Everything! You're beautiful, have a good figure, and your skin is white." Wang Baoyu flattered her.

"Are my buttocks white?" Li Xiuzhi suddenly asked.

"White!" Wang Baoyu said without thinking, then realized his mistake and shook his head vigorously, quickly correcting himself, "No, no, no, I really didn't see."

Seeing Wang Baoyu's embarrassed look, Li Xiuzhi laughed uncontrollably, her body shaking with laughter. She felt very amused by teasing him. However, she had no intention of doing anything with Wang Baoyu, who was nearly twenty years younger. She changed the topic and asked in a softer tone, "Baoyu, why are you out here instead of staying at home?"

Wang Baoyu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "I just went to pick some mushrooms to make a soup for my adoptive parents. I chased the pheasants and left the basket by the cornfield."

"You're still a bit considerate. Baoyu, you're not young anymore. Don't be idle and let people talk behind your back. What would your parents think?" Li Xiuzhi nagged.

Li Xiuzhi's words made Wang Baoyu feel suffocated and annoyed, but he couldn't argue. He smiled and said, "Hehe, I know, Aunt. I'm not idle; I read my adoptive father's books when I have nothing to do."

Li Xiuzhi looked at him with disdain and said, "Oh, planning to take over your adoptive father's job? Then tell me, when will money fall from the sky and hit me?"

Wang Baoyu looked at Li Xiuzhi's face, feeling very uncomfortable. He frowned and cursed her in his heart, saying, "Aunt Xiuzhi, you're right. In three days, you'll have a small fortune!"

Li Xiuzhi was taken aback and asked skeptically, "Are you serious? Don't just say it to make me happy."

"Aunt, you've seen me grow up. I wouldn't trick you!" Wang Baoyu smiled flatteringly.

Li Xiuzhi asked, "How do you know?"

Wang Baoyu replied, "It's all on your face. Your forehead is bright, and your eyebrows show happiness. You'll have good luck in three days!"

Li Xiuzhi's face lit up, and she seemed to enjoy this. She joked, "Baoyu, if you're right, I'll give you ten yuan."

"Trust me, Aunt Xiuzhi! I'll wait for your reward. I'll go home now!" Wang Baoyu said, turning and walking out of the cornfield.

On the hill, Wang Baoyu sat down and sighed, feeling relieved to be away from the fierce woman. The fortune-telling was just to make Li Xiuzhi happy. Who doesn't want to get rich? The ten yuan reward? Who would believe it? Wang Baoyu snorted, thinking that with Li Xiuzhi's stinginess, even if he was right, she wouldn't give him any reward.

After resting for a moment, Wang Baoyu got up, found his basket, and picked up the few scattered mushrooms. He walked home leisurely, but he didn't know that today's incident would unexpectedly lead him to become a well-known fortune-teller in the surrounding villages.