The Classic of the Fateful Scales tells the story of Chen Sansheng, a young man from the countryside. Because of his father's crime of adulterating sand and causing death, he was burdened with a "debt from the womb" from the moment he was born. He suffered from constant illness and endured the scorn of others. At eighteen, he crossed paths with the mysterious fortune-teller Hu the Iron Calculator, who took him as a disciple and taught him the Classic of Weighing Fate. From then on, Chen Sansheng used physiognomy to discern cause and effect, Gu techniques to pacify resentful spirits, and Taoist arts to cultivate his own heart, embarking on a thorn-strewn path to repay his debts. He weathered the treachery of human hearts, grudges within his sect, and tangled affairs of the heart. In the end, he established the Hall of Self-Reflection in his hometown, using himself as the scales to weigh the good and evil in people's hearts. He transformed from a "debt-collecting ghost" into a "keeper of the scales," finding a glimmer of hope for defying fate amid the dust of everyday life.
