Classic of Suspicious Dragons: Chapter on Changing Stars

When all suspicions about dragons have been resolved, the straight dragon's hidden fortune becomes easy to know. Once you recognize where the true dragon crystallizes, how can the distinction between true and false, trunk and branch, escape you? Greedy Wolf transforms once into Giant Gate Star — the star is square and imposing like a folding-screen. Tablet-shaped, bell-shaped, drum-shaped — Auxiliary and Deputy follow along, transforming into Salary Star. When Salary Star carries its salary, it forms unusual acupoints — unusual acupoints take the shape of crane-claws. The crane-claw form is short on both sides, with one natural spur propping up the main body. This is where Salary Star carries its salary; the long-and-short acupoint is the correct form. The summit may take the shape of a capped official; short, low arms grow on left and right. The left arm, short like a planted tablet; the right arm, short like a pendant fish-tally. Contemporary masters arrive here full of doubt, disliking the dragon and tiger for not wrapping protectively. Yet some dragon-tiger formations have two sharp tips — left twist, right twist, do not scorn them. Some dragon-tiger formations grow stone beaks — what master arriving here has ever rejoiced? Some acupoints lie among great boulders; some acupoints lie in deep pools. Some have the left arm long and the right branch short; some have the left short and the right branch long. Some host-mountains resemble an ox-yoke; some fronting-cases resemble a dragged spear. The common masters of the world mostly reject these — not knowing that unusual acupoints produce worthy men.

Sometimes Greedy Wolf transforms into Literary Curve — the cast-net form is no ordinary thing. The cast-net form resembles a spread cowhide: even without wearing crimson robes, such a person receives ample salary. Sometimes Greedy Wolf transforms into Destructive Army's aspect — a stairway to heaven, dimly visible like a banner. If the banner-mountain becomes a sky-covering flag, beneath the flag can be born rulers and ministers. Sometimes Destructive Army transforms into Greedy Wolf — Greedy Wolf entering the acupoint like a dragged spear. The dragged-spear acupoint is scorned as ugly, but only because the wrapping and protective mountains on both sides are long. Greedy Wolf transforming into Upright Purity takes the comb-teeth form — long branches have acupoints that no one buries. People say the dragon and tiger do not follow back — not knowing that after burial, it produces dukes and ministers. Transforming into Auxiliary Star: an upturned swallow's nest. Descending from a high mountain like a hung lantern. Transforming into Destructive Army: like halberds and spears. Both left and right hands are gathered in — there must be surrounding mountains for protection, or else fine water in a dark and winding flow. When Greedy Wolf does not transform, it produces nipple-protrusions. Giant Gate untransformed — seek in the nest. Military Crooked untransformed — look for the hairpin-head. Salary untransformed — a pear-shaped head. Literary Curve untransformed — set it in the palm's center. Destructive Army untransformed — halberds and spears. Auxiliary and Deputy untransformed — an upturned swallow's nest. Whether transformed or untransformed, one must investigate precisely. Some acupoints are shaped like an axe at a mountain pass, with dragon and tiger growing freely on either side.

A horizontal dragon should be planted in the straight portion; a straight mountain should be planted in the horizontal portion. In general, when dealing with strange forms and unusual acupoints — all the stars shedding and stripping, as I have described — for host and guest, seek only the three auspicious mountains. The three auspicious stars produce branches that turn and array themselves. Sometimes the true dragon generates living qi in a 'herding sheep' formation of layered ridges and rear peaks. Severed once, severed again, severed and severed once more — crane-knee and bee-waist formations are truly auspicious land. Auspicious land should have a counter-tidal fronting case; the case must grow from the main trunk. The trunk grows past and comes before us; the surrounding mountains rely on it for protection. Beyond the gate-guard, if a net-star appears, one can judge it as a landscape of dukes and marquises. Beyond the case, inverted golden bowl-shapes like alms-bowls — arriving in pairs and threes, facing us. Resembling drums, bells, and tablets — know that this cradles men of talent as in the Imperial Secretariat. Some mountains stand like stepping-stones, doubling back to regard this place. Those that cross horizontally before us form the water-mouth — no mountain is permitted to pass beyond the barrier. If beyond the barrier a net-star appears, stabilizing the realm becomes an easy matter. Case-mountains rising like bamboo shoots piercing the blue sky — only those pushing directly toward you are true. Mountains that form peaks on their reverse side while their bodies go straight away merely feign feeling toward us while having none. Contemporary masters arriving here eagerly seek acupoints — but after setting them, they learn they have fatally misled people. In general, wherever many mountains gather and many waters converge at one place, there is surely true potential here. The only fear is not knowing where the dragon rests — and the resting-place often takes on fearsome and ugly forms, causing common masters to quail. If you can master this Chapter on Changing Stars, you are an immortal of yin-yang geomancy. Whenever you encounter a dragon-spirit, you will see through it completely — because the mirror of your mind has become perfectly bright.