Treatise on Armament Technology, Volume 82

The Xu Palace Original: Xu Gong. The eleventh terrestrial branch, corresponding to the direction West-Northwest. is auspicious; however, the directions of Qian, Ren, and Hai These represent specific sectors in the Northwest on the twenty-four-point compass. are unfavorable. The Restrict Gate Original: Dumen. One of the "Eight Gates" in Qimen Dunjia; it represents concealment, blockage, or a state of being "shut in." is unsuitable for movement; the Surprise and Injury Gates are both ominous.

Malevolent Influences Original: Esha. Refers to baleful stars, destructive energies, or malevolent spirits in the celestial bureaucracy.

If in an emergency you depart via the Open, Rest, or Life Gates Known as the "Three Auspicious Gates," these are generally the safest directions for movement., you must still take care to avoid the spirits Tingting and Baijian, as well as the Snake and Tiger Original: She-Hu. Refers to the "Tengshe" (Soaring Snake) and "Baihu" (White Tiger), two of the eight spirits in this system, both of which are considered highly dangerous., and the Non-General influence Original: Bujiang. A specific chronological factor used to determine if a day is safe for travel or ritual.. One must not set out directly toward their directions. Malevolent deities must be avoided. Even if one obtains an auspicious alignment of the Mysterious Gates Mysterious GatesOriginal: Qimen. An ancient form of strategic divination used to calculate the best time and direction for action., even if the spirits and constellations are favorable, and even if the day and hour are in a state of Seasonal Prosperity Original: Wangxiang. A technical term for when the elemental energy of a time period is at its peak strength.—in short, even if every other factor is auspicious—if a single malevolent deity is encountered, then no affairs can be undertaken. It is extremely ominous.