222 – Third Eye

“Hey, Taiji, your birthday is coming up?” asked Song Taiji’s eldest brother, one of his six siblings. “Aren’t you nervous?”

Song Taiji stared at his eldest brother for a moment and shook his head.

There was a tradition in the Song Family clan that after they turned thirteen, all the male members were required to undergo an exam. As for the purpose, the boys were simply told that it would determine their roles in the clan. To prepare all the boys for the exam, there was a strict regimen of exercise and private tutoring.

Song Taiji’s second brother disappeared after his thirteen birthday and had not returned home. His eldest brother had explained to him that the test would last five years. Only after five years were they able to return home.

On Song Taiji’s thirteenth birthday, the relatives traveled far and wide to celebrate his birthday.  After the party celebration, the sixteen elders, consisting of the granduncles and uncles, called the young Song Taiji into a small meeting room. Aside from the Song family clan, there were four strangers in the room, all dressed in a light blue scholar robe.

At the head of the table was Song Lihu, the head of the household and Song Taiji’s uncle. Song Taiji’s father was a brilliant man, but it was Song Lihu who led the Song family through the turbulent times in the 50s and 60s.

“Little Taiji, have you heard about the test?” Song Lihu asked the sturdy boy standing before them.

Song Taiji nodded.

“Then your test is simple,” Song Lihu explained. “Starting with nothing and with another identity, make as much money as possible. From the deck of cards, select one. This will determine your starting location.”

Song Taiji picked a card from the top of the deck, “Blight?”

“You will head to Blight country immediately tomorrow,” Song Lihu explained. “Before you leave,  select one Meng family clan to assist you.”

Song Taiji carefully gauged the eyes of the young men in a blue robe and walked up to the one on the far right. Out of the four Meng clan members, his eyes seemed the brightest.

"What did you see?" The young Meng asked.

"Your eyes reflect the lantern the most," Song Taiji responded.

At that moment, his fate with Meng Shi was determined. Two of the elders shuffled Song Taiji and Meng Shi off to the rails while the elders remained in the conference room. 

“How do you think little Taiji will perform?” One of the elders asked.

“Maybe average?” Responded another elder. “What do you think, Elder Lihu?”

As the inheritor of the Song Family’s Lineage, the Third Eye, Song Lihu could recognize talent in others. It was how he came to power within the clan. However, the ability did not allow him to see the talent within the clan.

In order to determine the successor, all male members had to pass the test. Some failed to achieve wealth and some had moderate success. Song Lihu stubbornly groomed his sons in an attempt to create the ability through nurturing.

The attempt was unsuccessful. His eldest son made the costly decision of aligning with the wrong business partner and ultimately failed. His youngest son had some success, but it was not enough to be deemed a worthy successor.

As the head of the family, there were opportunities for Song Lihu to tamper with the test to allow his sons to succeed. However, he knew in the long run that it would not benefit the family. There were histories of cheating in the past that did not end well. There were several periods of decline, and only when the cheating members were removed did the Song Family prosper. Some members thought it was a coincidence, but many elders believed the only way to continue their family name was to follow the guidelines set by their ancestors.

Song Taiji was sent to Blight and after five years. He returned with great ambitions, a pregnant girlfriend, and made 300k pounds. The amount was enough to place him in contention, but it was his ability to network that impressed the elders. One of the reasons why the Song family had been around so long was because their retainers were loyal and talented. Through the changes of emperors and government, each and every Song heads were able to gain great power and influence.

Song Lihu reluctantly passed on the mantle to Song Taiji when he was ready to retire. The family prosperity was greatly dependent on the head. It wasn’t simply the fate of one person, but the fate of the entire clan. 

****

Before Song Taiji could officially rest, he needed to appoint the next clan head. However, none of the male members had impressed him. The elders had their favorites and as many were beginning to question the validity of their ancestors' lineage and stories, some had attempted to cheat. Song Taiji had removed many of the elders and their branches since he had taken over the clan thirty years ago.

As for his own sons, they both claimed to have the talent to find talented people and although they were good at their job, they also trusted people who they shouldn’t have trusted. Song Taiji could not put the fate of his clan on their shoulders.

As for Rouxi, her ability had outshone everyone else. If appointed, she would be the first female clan head; a decision that would raise objections from the family elders. However, there were no specific guidelines in the Song Family archive that restricted a female member from being the head. The archive simply stated that the clan would prosper as long as it was led by a member with the Third Eye. She did not officially pass the test, but the main guideline for the test was to make as much money as possible in five years without using the family name. Under the name of Chu Rouxi, she had built her own wealth. The exam was also created by the elders to find the member with the Third Eye.

“She has a similar ability to me,” Song Taiji said. It was the main reason why she was even considered an option. “But it will ultimately come down to how well Dr. Li performs.”

The other problem was her choice of spouse. If she chose a regular spouse that failed to impress the elders, it would reduce her chances.

Master Meng Shi shook his head. “Rather than the doctor, you should also pay closer attention to little Meilin.”

“You’re still concerned about her strange shen?” asked Song Taiji. 

When Master Meng Shi first met Song Meilin and calculated her fate with the Song, there was unusual energy. It was what prompted Song Taiji to contact Old Yi to confirm their blood relationships.

“She is indeed related to you by blood,” said Meng Shi. “But she has two distinct shens.”

“What does that mean?”

“I am not sure, but I have only encountered such results during exorcism cases. It is possible she carries the Chu's family lineage, which is in direct opposition to the Song. It makes it very difficult to read how she affects the future of the Song Family.”