The Prosperous Feng Shui Formation

### The Prosperous Feng Shui Formation

In the town of Lin Yuan, there was a poor family surnamed Liao. They were struggling and desired to become wealthy. With this aspiration, they sought out the famous feng shui master, Lin Banxian, to find a prosperous burial site for their ancestors. Lin Banxian, upon observing the Liao family’s demeanor, realized that they were not necessarily virtuous people. However, he sympathized with their plight and agreed to help them.

Together, they set off towards the northeast of Qing Shui Yan, heading north. Along the way, they saw vast, open landscapes and the majestic Xiao Liuqiu standing in the sea. They finally arrived at a specific location.

Lin Banxian suddenly said, “This is truly an excellent location. This site will undoubtedly bring great wealth and prosperity.” Upon hearing this, Mr. Liao was delighted and said, “As long as we can become rich, that’s all that matters.” Lin Banxian continued, “This place is known as the ‘Golden Basin Site.’ In the future, it will bring prosperity across the land.” Mr. Liao was overjoyed and eagerly wanted to start relocating his ancestor's graves. However, Lin Banxian cautioned, “Wait a moment. This unique location will indeed benefit you greatly, but it comes at a cost. If you use this site, I will inevitably go blind, and my remaining years will be full of hardship. If you sincerely promise to take care of me for the rest of my life, I will help you relocate your ancestors here.”

Mr. Liao quickly agreed, saying, “Of course. If this place can really make us rich, I will certainly take care of you for life and never break my promise.” Lin Banxian said, “Very well. But remember, if you ever break your promise, you cannot blame me for what happens.”

As expected, shortly after relocating the ancestor's graves to the Golden Basin Site, Lin Banxian gradually lost his eyesight, and the Liao family began to flourish. They were extremely grateful to Lin Banxian initially.

However, as the saying goes, “Time reveals a person's true nature.” The Liao family started to feel burdened by the responsibility of caring for Lin Banxian, especially since he had a particular fondness for lamb. They often had to slaughter a lamb to feed him, which was costly. Over time, their hospitality waned.

One evening, after dinner, Lin Banxian was picking lamb meat from his teeth when a servant girl brought him tea. He remarked contentedly, “Today’s lamb was exceptionally tender and delicious.” The servant girl couldn’t help but laugh.

The servant girl explained, “The lamb was just born from the ewe’s belly, so it was naturally tender.” Lin Banxian responded, “No wonder it was so tender and fragrant, but it’s quite unfortunate.” The servant girl laughed even more and said, “What’s unfortunate about it? It’s just an animal.” Lin Banxian felt something was off and asked, “Was it not slaughtered?” The servant girl replied, “It fell into a dung pit and died, so we decided to cook it for you instead of wasting it.” Lin Banxian inquired, “Whose idea was this?” The servant girl quickly said, “It was the master’s decision.”

Realizing that the Liao family was now taking advantage of his blindness and was tired of taking care of him, Lin Banxian became very angry but remained calm.

The next morning, he told Mr. Liao, “There has been a change in your ancestral feng shui. It would be best to unearth the grave and choose an auspicious day for reburial to maintain your family’s good fortune.” Mr. Liao, alarmed, followed Lin Banxian to the Golden Basin Site. Lin Banxian instructed him, “Put your ear close to the tombstone. Do you hear a sound?” Mr. Liao, surprised, said, “Yes, I hear something, but I don’t know what it is.” Lin Banxian explained, “That’s a sign that the energy veins are shifting. We need to act quickly to fix it, or the dragon vein will leave.”

Mr. Liao asked in a panic, “What should we do?” Lin Banxian reassured him, “Don’t worry. I will lock the dragon vein for you.” Mr. Liao, trusting him, followed his instructions and chose a day to dig up the grave.

At noon on the appointed day, Lin Banxian arrived at the site with his tools. He placed a wooden sword in the ground and began the excavation. When the tomb was opened, there was a basin of water underneath—a precaution left by Lin Banxian during the initial burial. He quickly scooped up the water to wash his eyes, and his sight was immediately restored. Mr. Liao, unaware of the trick, asked what to do next.

Lin Banxian instructed him to open the urn's lid. As Mr. Liao was about to do so, they heard the sound of cranes. Seven white cranes flew out of the urn. The onlookers were amazed, and Mr. Liao’s family managed to catch one of the cranes, but it broke a leg in the process.

The surrounding crowd praised Lin Banxian’s skills, but Mr. Liao, sensing something was wrong, asked, “What is happening?” Lin Banxian responded, “It’s very bad. Because I was blind, I accidentally destroyed the dragon vein. This is the result of your treachery and ingratitude. There’s nothing more I can do.” Amid the commotion, Lin Banxian quietly slipped away into the forest.

Mr. Liao’s family hurriedly reburied the tomb and repaired the tombstone, but their fortune had turned. Years later, a member of the Liao family became an official but was known as the “Limping Official” because of a birth defect—a reminder of the broken-legged crane.

The Golden Basin Site remains one of the thirteen scenic spots of Fengshan, known for its unique feng shui that once promised wealth and fortune. Its dragon vein, like the prosperity it brought, required respect and integrity to maintain.