Bai Qi in his past life was in a shady business, outwardly referred to as Daoist sect, but internally known as the Theft sect.
He formally apprenticed to a master, followed the rules, focusing on not harming the poor, only targeting the rich.
In his early years, he often played the role of a rosy-cheeked little Daoist child, highlighting his master's celestial demeanor.
The work mostly involved setting up yang residences, building yin tombs, and assessing feng shui for ancestral graves, which sounded easy because it relied mainly on bluffing and improvisation.
There were many tricks in this trade, with the first being how to earn trust and create one's image as a "reclusive sage" — a skill most charlatans couldn't master.
But Bai Qi's master in his past life was an outstanding expert in this.
During a drunken stupor, he imparted the secret: with a good appearance, "act"; with a poor one, "perform".
