Chapter 15: The Graveyard Feng Shui Taboo—Trees Growing Atop the Tomb

Li Chengfeng squinted as he gazed at the grave mound before him. At the very top—the highest point—stood a locust tree as thick as a bowl’s rim.

Having a tree growing on the top of a grave is a major taboo in feng shui. No one would plant a tree there; even if saplings sprouted naturally, many would chop them down immediately.

When planting trees near ancestral graves, a certain distance from the mound must be maintained.

This is because if the tree is too close or grows directly on the grave, it negatively impacts the health and fortune of the descendants.

At this moment, Li Chengfeng already understood the strange afflictions that had befallen Ye Wushuang and Ye Gucheng, turning them blind and mute—it was connected to the grave before him.

Ye Mengyao, seeing Li Chengfeng standing in front of the grave, walked over with a hint of displeasure and asked, “What are you doing standing here?”

“When will you finally lift the curse from my father and aunt?”

Li Chengfeng did not answer her directly. His gaze fixed solemnly on the tree atop the grave as he asked, “Who is buried here?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Because the reason your father and aunt became blind and mute is linked to this tomb.”

“It seems to be my great-grandfather who’s buried here.”

Ye Mengyao looked confused. She couldn’t understand how her father and aunt’s sudden illnesses could be related to her great-grandfather’s grave.

Li Chengfeng circled the grave slowly, speaking as he walked.

“Trees can be auspicious or ominous. As the saying goes: auspicious trees planted near graves bless the descendants with good health; ominous trees growing on the mound bring sickness to the entire family.”

Elders all know that trees must not be planted haphazardly in graveyards because improper planting invites great misfortune.

There is a folk saying: “No planting on graves, no building on homesteads,” underscoring the importance of careful consideration when planting trees in cemeteries.

Trees are divided into auspicious and ominous types. Auspicious trees include cypress, pine, phoenix tree, Chinese parasol tree, and willow.

Among these, pine and cypress are the most common in graveyards.

Phoenix trees and Chinese parasol trees are rarely seen, as most people dare not plant them in ancestral graves. Without enough virtuous merit, planting these trees in a graveyard usually backfires.

Hence, it is rare to see phoenix or parasol trees growing in cemeteries.

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Ominous trees include the locust tree, chinkapin, and zelkova. When these trees appear near graves, they profoundly affect the descendants’ health and fortune.

If such trees are found in ancestral graves, it’s advised to remove them while they are still young. Otherwise, once the roots penetrate the coffin, resolving the issue becomes extremely difficult.

If these trees grow far from the tomb, the impact is minimal; but if they grow on the mound itself, they can spell disaster for the descendants.

On Ye Mengyao’s great-grandfather’s grave, a locust tree grows right at the top. Judging by its thickness, it has been there for at least ten years.

Ye Mengyao still refused to believe that her father and aunt becoming blind and mute had anything to do with a locust tree on her great-grandfather’s grave.

“Stop trying to fool me. I won’t believe such nonsense,” she snapped.

“How can a tree on a grave affect living people?”

This woman was truly stubborn. After hearing so much, she hadn’t absorbed a word. Li Chengfeng decided to be more direct.

“Judging by the scale of your Ye family’s ancestral grave, your family must be quite prominent.”

“If I’m not mistaken, those suffering in your family aren’t just your father and aunt.”

“There must be many others who are blind, lame, or mute.”

“How did you guess that?” Ye Mengyao was surprised. Everything Li Chengfeng said was accurate.

Their Ye family was indeed a large clan. Qingzhou was the family’s place of origin. After prospering, most members moved to the capital, leaving only Ye Gucheng’s branch to remain in their ancestral lands.

In the capital, many Ye descendants also suffered strange ailments: blindness, lameness, or muteness.

They had consulted many famous doctors, visited renowned hospitals worldwide, and invited numerous expert professors.

They even formed a dedicated medical team.

After nearly two years of research, they concluded that the illnesses were likely due to genetic defects in the family.

Currently, such genetically caused conditions remain untreatable by modern medicine.

The only solution is to marry and have children with genetically healthy partners, thereby altering the gene pool.

Now, the Ye family’s power was waning, its strength no longer what it once was.

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Li Chengfeng almost laughed. Thinking it over, the experts’ theory made sense, but the truth was quite different. He snorted softly.

“I didn’t guess this. I saw it on your great-grandfather’s tomb.”

“If this tree isn’t dealt with, more and more of your descendants will fall ill.”

“Soon enough, you’ll be next.”

Ye Mengyao shot him a glare, feeling as if he were cursing her. She wanted to slap his mouth.

Though reluctant to believe, she had to reconsider since Li Chengfeng discerned all this from just one tree on her great-grandfather’s grave.

Perhaps he really could cure her father, aunt, and other Ye descendants.

Still uncertain whether to trust him, she asked doubtfully, “Tell me, how do we fix this?”

“Do we just cut down the tree?”

Li Chengfeng shook his head gravely.

“If it were a young tree whose roots haven’t reached the coffin, cutting it down is fine and won’t affect feng shui.”

“But this tree is old. Cutting it down outright would harm the root of your descendants.”

“The best way is to transplant it elsewhere.”

In the end, Ye Mengyao chose to trust Li Chengfeng. When science couldn’t solve it, perhaps only spirituality could.

Disturbing an ancestral grave was no small matter.

She did not dare make the decision herself. Instead, she decided to return and tell Ye Gucheng so her father could decide.

Ye Mengyao knew well that if she told her father, he would be angry and might even scold her harshly.

She thought of a better plan—letting Li Chengfeng explain the matter to her father.

Li Chengfeng did not refuse; he was confident he could earn Ye Gucheng’s trust.

Ye Mengyao started the car and drove toward Qingzhou city with Li Chengfeng.