Chapter 24 Hawker Stalls

Old Man Chen had grown up an orphan boy since his youth, knowing only his teacher as a parent figure. Since his boyhood, his teacher had meticulously trained him in the skills of divination and had provided him with the essential fundamentals for his future. He would watch from the side and quietly test his skills whenever his teacher worked his magic for clients and patrons. As time passed, the boy grew up, and so did his skills. He began feeling more and more confident in his abilities and was proud of himself, until Fate grew jealous and vengeful. Old Man Chen was a boy of 12 that year, still an apprentice who followed his teacher everywhere. They had taken up lodging one night at a Taoist monastery when a call roused them from their rest. Religious faiths were viewed as one of the elements of the Four Olds during the height of the Cultural Revolution. A rowdy mob marched up the hills, each brandishing flaming brands in their hands, and arrived at the monastery to burn it to the ground. Even though the unruly crowd was not specifically there for the seer and his student, the teacher and his apprentice could not help feeling afraid by the sudden commotion, and they swiftly fled. Noticing people escaping from the monastery, the agitated and frenzied mob gave chase. The teacher and his student split up to try shaking off their pursuers but instead, the teacher fell off the crest of a precipice and plunged to his death while the rabid and raving riot captured the boy.