Chapter 26 – Planning

A simple morning tea ended up lasting over two hours. It wasn’t until noon that Wei Yang finally declined Director Chang’s invitation to lunch and was sent back to Jieshui Studio by a private car. Ignoring Sun Muhua’s endless barrage of curious questions, he first called his boss.

“…That’s roughly how things stand.” Standing at the office door, Wei Yang let out a soft sigh and concluded.

For a long time, there was no response from the other end of the line. After a while, the old swindler finally managed to stammer out, “That feng shui arrangement… it really works? The stone ball can actually float in the air? Ah Yang, how could you be so foolish! That thing could’ve been sold for a fortune elsewhere!”

This old man really had the same mindset as Director Chang. Wei Yang’s mouth twitched, “Let’s not go there. Brother Qi said the ball is just a talismanic object. Apart from its specific role in stabilizing qi, it probably only helps purify the air a bit. It’s not as mystical as people make it out to be.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve been fooled by the Little Celestial Master! Just listen to the name—Mount Tai Fish-Dragon Formation! I’m almost certain it’s one of Sanliao Village’s secret techniques…”

Wei Yang let out a scoff and directly cut off the other’s excited rambling, “Whether it’s a secret technique of Sanliao Village, I can’t say. But the name ‘Mount Tai Fish-Dragon Formation’ was something I came up with myself.”

“What?!” The excitement choked in the old man’s throat, nearly suffocating Sun Chengfeng.

“Brother Qi just carved a feng shui ball. He didn’t explain the details to me, nor did he mention what changes would occur on-site. I had to piece things together with some half-guessing. Oh, and the construction group slipped me a million as payment. Let’s split it 60-40 as usual.”

After witnessing the real feng shui arrangement, Director Chang was thoroughly convinced. The morning tea felt more like a consultation session, with him being excessively enthusiastic. Wei Yang also played the part of a master to the fullest, modestly accepting the million yuan after much back-and-forth. Director Chang even wanted to gift him a bigger apartment, but Wei Yang, remembering the previous incident, insisted on staying in Room 1203. This only deepened the admiration of the two “insiders.” With such a smooth conclusion, the deal was completely settled and turned out a hundred times better than expected.

However, this report of success didn’t earn Wei Yang any praise from the old swindler. Instead, the man spat, “Money… what’s money?! Did you even try to learn anything? Such a golden opportunity, and you didn’t even find out the name of the formation!”

The old swindler’s voice was so loud it nearly shattered the phone’s speaker. Wei Yang quickly moved the phone away, only bringing it back after the old man had finished yelling, “Uncle Sun, I think we’ve been looking at this the wrong way. Real feng shui arrangements aren’t that easy to set up. When Brother Qi was carving the Mount Tai stone, I watched for half a day and still couldn’t figure out how the fish patterns appeared. With that level of skill, what’s the point of trying to steal his techniques? It’s better to rely on his real skills to boost Jieshui Studio’s reputation first.”

Sun Chengfeng groaned in pain, “So that’s why Master Zeng was so generous! Fine, even if we can’t learn the real techniques, we should still plan carefully. It’s a pity my injury came at such a bad time. I don’t know if I’ll last until the Little Celestial Master leaves… Ah Yang, you need to take on more business quickly, but don’t overdo it. After all, the Little Celestial Master is just a guest. If he leaves and we take on something we can’t handle, we’ll be in big trouble.”

Wei Yang was momentarily stunned. After blinking, he replied, “…I understand. This time, Director Chang asked me to design their headquarters building, but I didn’t dare take it. Let’s catch our breath first. However, we’ve completely offended Master Bai from Tiande this time. For Jieshui Studio…”

The old swindler immediately got fired up and started cursing, “Those scoundrels from Tiande! They’ve just had a stroke of luck thanks to Guo Hongtu. Don’t think I haven’t checked their background—they’ve got plenty of shady dealings! Ah Yang, don’t worry. Bai Luan probably won’t dare cause us trouble openly. Nine out of ten feng shui masters are cowards. When they see real skill, they’ll tuck their tails and hide. Besides, he was in the wrong this time. Would he really risk embarrassing himself in public just to sabotage us? You did well this time, giving him a warning is enough. As long as Director Chang lets this slide, he won’t dare cause trouble again. Once we’ve earned enough money and reputation, we won’t have to fear a small-time snake like him. We’ll crush him with a single step!”

The old swindler spoke with great fervor. Wei Yang smiled but didn’t argue. The reason he dared to act this way was precisely because of this logic. Once Bai Luan witnessed real skill, most of his desire to cause trouble would dissipate. Those truly in the know in the feng shui world understood that those who could “stabilize” could also “destroy.” As the saying goes, mastering one technique opens the door to all others. However, some sects didn’t allow the use of destructive techniques casually. Therefore, when encountering someone with real skill, they wouldn’t dare provoke them to the point of no return. If they angered someone who could unleash a calamity on their family, no one could bear the consequences. Thus, for now, there was no need to fear the people from Tiande openly. Being cautious in private was the way to go.

“By the way, tell Sun Muhua not to visit the hospital anymore. I’ll just lay low as a hermit and come out after I’ve recovered. Ah Yang, you’ll need to take care of the shop. Once I’m out of the hospital, we’ll immediately switch to a shareholding system…”

The old swindler rambled on about the shareholding system for a while, firmly refusing the “profit split” this time, before reluctantly hanging up. Wei Yang smiled as he put away his phone and pushed open the wooden door to the office. Inside, Zhang Xiuqi was still sitting upright at the imitation huanghuali desk, his arm slightly suspended as he meticulously drew a Soul Stabilizing Talisman. His eyes seemed completely focused, as if nothing else existed.

Wei Yang carefully pulled up a chair and sat across the table, resting his chin on the desk in a rather undignified manner. He gazed at the man before him, lost in thought. After talking with the old swindler today, he remembered something. This Little Celestial Master Zhang was, after all, someone Master Zeng had entrusted to him. One day, he would leave Shanxi Province and return to the legendary Longhu Mountain or Sanliao Village. Someone like this should have had no connection to Wei Yang, yet by some twist of fate, he had entered Wei Yang’s life.

It felt like finally taming a pet only to have it taken away by someone else. The thought was rather unsettling… Stop! Wei Yang quickly halted this unhealthy train of thought. Even if he’s lost a part of his soul, Brother Qi is still a living, breathing human being, not some tool or pet. Perhaps it would be better to ask Master Zeng to find a way to restore his consciousness. Whether it’s Longhu Mountain or Sanliao Village, they’re both more suitable for him than this small Jieshui Studio. When Brother Qi regains his consciousness, I wonder if he’ll look down on my somewhat shady profession…

Another talisman was completed. A faint shadow flickered and disappeared into Zhang Xiuqi’s eyes. He closed his eyes briefly, then set the paper aside, seemingly ready to continue drawing. But for some reason, he tilted his head and looked at Wei Yang, who was still resting his chin on the desk. Their eyes met for a moment.

Those eyes were very dark, cold, and indifferent, without much vitality. To an outsider, it might seem like a detached, otherworldly demeanor. However, Wei Yang knew that this was just an empty shell, a person whose soul had been hollowed out, leaving only a pitiful emptiness. But when those lifeless eyes looked at him, they held a hint of warmth and trust, like a lost animal finding its family.

Why did he trust him? Was it just because of Master Zeng’s instructions, or because of the Longhu Mountain Talisman Jade he carried… Wei Yang awkwardly averted his gaze and stood up, saying, “Brother Qi, I’ll get you some water. Keep drawing, and call me if you’re hungry.”

With that, he fled the room without looking back. Zhang Xiuqi watched his retreating figure, hesitating as if he wanted to follow, but ultimately lowered his head and continued drawing the talisman. The vermilion brush moved steadily, seemingly sketching the outline of a soul bit by bit, slowly adding a touch of humanity to the wooden figure.

&&&

“Boss, are we really going to let this slide? What kind of garbage is Jieshui Studio, daring to mess with us? And that construction group is no better—how dare they call and tell us to remove our stuff!”

In the lavish office of Tiande’s branch, the short, fat man gnashed his teeth in indignation. However, sitting across from him, Master Bai Luan remained silent, staring intently at the Bagua mirror placed on the table. This mirror had been hung in the hallway of Chaoyang Community half a month ago, but now, upon closer inspection, he noticed a faint, barely perceptible layer of white fog at its center, as if it had oxidized unevenly. To an untrained eye, this might not raise any suspicion, but Bai Luan, being a practitioner, knew that this was a sign of the mirror having encountered malevolent qi.

The feng shui arrangement he had set up hadn’t managed to block the evil qi in the community. Instead, the mirror had been damaged by it. He had only heard about such situations in his master’s teachings but had never seen it firsthand. Thinking of this, he felt a pang of fear. It seemed that building really was haunted, and the malevolent qi wasn’t weak. Any ordinary feng shui master would steer clear of such a place, yet Wei Yang had not only approached it but also set up a feng shui arrangement there. What’s more, he even planned to move into the apartment beneath the haunted one. Thinking about it, he must have some real skill.

Fortunately, he hadn’t brought any helpers today. Bai Luan felt a wave of relief. If he had brought these idiots along, they might have been too scared to even speak after seeing that feng shui arrangement. Moreover, Director Chang had personally called to apologize afterward. Although the Bagua mirror and the Dragon Bone Tree had been removed, the man hadn’t caused any trouble for Tiande or tarnished his reputation. Instead, he had spoken about “specialization” and the like, showing Bai Luan some face.

All things considered, the situation wasn’t too bad. Clearing his throat, Bai Luan waved his hand with feigned composure, “Since Director Chang has already fallen for that kid’s tricks, us interfering would only backfire. Tiande’s business must go on. Let’s not talk about this anymore. Who’s going to take responsibility if it affects our business?”

The short, fat man was momentarily stunned, unsure of his boss’s intentions. However, another subordinate cautiously chimed in, “The master is right. In our feng shui circle, we don’t openly confront each other like this. That small, shabby studio—if we went against them, it would only make Tiande look bad. Since that Wei kid likes to boast, why don’t we secretly ‘introduce’ him to some tricky jobs? Hehe, if he’s got the skills, let him take on those tough tasks. Whether he can keep his job will depend on his own abilities.”

This suggestion perfectly aligned with Master Bai’s thoughts. Nodding in satisfaction, he regained his usual calm demeanor, “Xiao Jiang is right. It’s always better to resolve disputes than to escalate them. If we keep dwelling on this, how will we focus on our own business? Since they like to show off, let them. With such an attitude, they’ll eventually fall into their own trap. You all should pay more attention and find out if there are any ‘suitable’ jobs for them.”

His words carried a hint of malice, and the subordinates instantly understood. Master Bai waved his hand dismissively, “Don’t just stand there. Go do your work! Xiao Jiang, take this mirror to the storage room. Don’t use it again. And find out which supplier we got this from. The quality is terrible. Change vendors in the future.”

The instructions were vague, but the subordinates didn’t dare to question them. Xiao Jiang quickly picked up the mirror and, along with the others, filed out of the room. Seeing that his subordinates hadn’t raised any suspicions, Master Bai let out a sigh of relief, leaned back in his chair, and began to ponder.