Chapter 152 – Extra 13 – Baijia Buddha 3

In the afternoon, the meeting was still scheduled at Treasure House. Liu Qu had already disappeared, leaving only Heipi to pick them up. However, when Heipi saw Zhang Xiuqi, even the usually unflappable manager of the Liu Family was taken aback. He looked the Little Celestial Master up and down before turning to Wei Yang with a click of his tongue, “Is this what you meant by ‘preparation’?”

It was no wonder Heipi was startled. Unlike the casual attire from the morning, Zhang Xiuqi was now dressed in a proper layman’s robe. The long-sleeved, long-panted outfit was made of plain black fabric, with only subtle cloud patterns adorning the cuffs and collar. His sneakers had been replaced with handmade cloth shoes with woven soles. Yet, this attire, typically worn by those over fifty, looked unexpectedly elegant on him. Paired with his handsome, expressionless face, it exuded an air of restrained divinity, giving him the aura of a true master.

Wei Yang raised an eyebrow smugly, “This outfit isn’t bad, right? From now on, we’ll take on jobs like this, a perfect blend of East and West.”

More like a mix of sharpness and fishiness, Heipi thought to himself. But he had to admit, the combination of Western and Eastern styles suited them well. At some point, the icy, menacing aura around Zhang Xiuqi had dissipated. It was as if a gleaming sword had been sheathed, its sharpness no longer on display, yet its mystery remained. While it was unclear whether this change was due to the return of his “Heavenly Soul,” there was no denying that the Little Celestial Master was now much more suited to handling these odd jobs, at least in terms of appearance.

Having quickly made up his mind, Heipi chuckled, “This works too. Let’s get going then. The Sang Family is in Qinggao City, and we’ve got a bit of a journey ahead.”

Indeed, there was some distance to cover. Qinggao City wasn’t in the same province but located by the sea in a neighboring one. After an hour on the high-speed train and another half-hour of transfers, the three arrived at the Sang Family’s suburban villa. Unlike typical luxury homes, this small Western-style house had undergone special renovations. From the inside out, it exuded an “artistic” flair, with postmodern paintings covering the walls and twisted metal decorations scattered throughout. It was a classic example of a “modern collector’s” style, which explained why someone like Sang Yuqiao would take a liking to Liu Qu’s eccentric taste.

However, Sang Yuqiao was far from his usual composed self today. Nervously adjusting his glasses, he whispered to Heipi, “Mr. Liu, why did you bring others this time? I only wanted to invite Master Liu Qu’s jade carving back. I didn’t mean anything else…”

Heipi, no pushover himself, immediately smiled and replied, “Mr. Sang, the matter of the Buddha statue can wait. I brought my friends here to help you truly resolve the issue. After all, our families are close, and we can’t just stand by.”

He didn’t directly mention that taking the Buddha statue might have adverse effects on Liu Qu but instead steered the conversation back to the Sang Family’s problem. Sang Yuqiao, of course, understood the implication. Awkwardly, he turned his gaze to Zhang Xiuqi. Since entering, he had been observing this young, almost too young, “feng shui master.” To his surprise, the man’s appearance did seem somewhat professional. Yet, under this scrutinizing gaze, Zhang Xiuqi, with his “master” demeanor, remained silent. It was Wei Yang, sitting beside him, who spoke first with a smile, “Although there’s a rule in the industry that colleagues shouldn’t meddle in each other’s business, I must ask, Mr. Sang, can you still contact the person who previously came to check your feng shui?”

Sang Yuqiao opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words to respond. Wei Yang’s smile grew even more polished as he continued, “We don’t know much about your family’s situation, nor are we particularly interested. However, the Liu Family are our old friends, and it was only at Brother Ming’s invitation that we came here today. Whether the issue lies with the Jade Buddha is still uncertain. Remember, feng shui is not fixed—fortune and misfortune often hang by a thread. If a minor issue is handled by a quack, that’s when things can truly take a turn for the worse.”

Upon hearing this, Sang Yuqiao’s heart churned. The situation had indeed developed strangely. After purchasing the Jade Buddha, his company’s business had taken a downturn, and he often heard strange noises at night, leading to mental exhaustion. He had specifically invited a master to inspect the place and, following the master’s advice, made some adjustments to the interior layout, including storing away the Jade Buddha, which was said to be “clashing with the negative energy.” Yet, instead of resolving the issue, things took a turn for the worse, escalating from a minor problem to a life-threatening disaster. When he tried to contact the master again, the man first made excuses and then stopped answering his calls altogether. It was clear he had been scammed. Could it be that the problem was exacerbated by that swindler?

After hesitating for a moment, Sang Yuqiao finally nodded, “If the two of you don’t mind, would you like to take a look at the feng shui layout of my home?”

Being somewhat superstitious and having connections in the field, Sang Yuqiao’s villa was naturally arranged with great care. The basics—a mountain at the back and water in front—were in place. The greenery in the courtyard, the porch at the entrance, and even the color and decor of the villa’s exterior were all meticulously chosen. Despite the modern art style inside, the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth were all represented, with a touch of the Flying Star School’s layout. It was likely the work of some master. However, Wei Yang wasn’t planning to follow the “predecessor’s” path this time.

With a wave of his hand, Wei Yang said to Sang Yuqiao, “Mr. Sang, we don’t need to look at your feng shui layout. It’s probably of no use. Let’s go take a look at the Buddha statue first and figure out where the problem actually lies.”

This statement caught Sang Yuqiao off guard. He had never encountered a feng shui master who didn’t comment on the home’s layout. Most would either put on an air of profundity or talk at length, trying to find issues with the feng shui to showcase their expertise. Not one had ever cut to the chase like this to address the problem directly. Yet, faced with Wei Yang’s candid smile and the still expressionless Zhang Xiuqi, Sang Yuqiao finally took a deep breath and stood up, inviting, “Then please follow me to the study.”

Wei Yang also stood up, a subtle smile playing on his lips. They were indeed here to handle a tricky case, but who said a tricky case couldn’t have a straightforward approach? In this day and age, truly effective feng shui layouts were rare. With luck, one might gain a reputation for being “effective,” but if not, they could always spin a tale to cover their tracks. It was more of a placebo than actual feng shui, relying on who could talk their way out of a situation. But their team had the real deal. Why waste time on that? Better to take the straightforward path. Without further ado, with Zhang Xiuqi and Heipi in tow, the three followed Sang Yuqiao to the study.

The Sang Family’s villa was quite spacious, with seven or eight rooms on the ground floor alone. The study, with its excellent lighting, was one of the most prominent. However, upon entering, the most eye-catching feature was the curio shelf against the wall, already filled with various art pieces. Most were unique modern creations, with none of the jade patina or bronze corrosion typical of antiques.

Seeing their scrutinizing gazes, Sang Yuqiao coughed lightly, “As you can see, I don’t collect antiques. I prefer the works of modern artists. Whether or not they appreciate in value, these pieces have a vitality that old artifacts can’t match. That’s why, despite having so many pieces, I’ve never encountered any problems.”

Sang Yuqiao’s tone was confident. He believed in these things and was well aware of the supernatural stories surrounding the antique world. Nowadays, most antiques on the market were unearthed, and there was always the risk of bringing home a funerary object. He would never touch such things, which was why he specifically chose modern art. Yet, while those who collected funerary objects remained unscathed, his family had already suffered a bloody disaster.

Sensing the man’s frustration, Wei Yang smiled faintly, “Let’s hold off on that for now. We’ll see after we’ve taken a look.”

With that, he exchanged a glance with Zhang Xiuqi, and the two walked over to the black jade Buddha statue.

Liu Qu had clearly put a lot of effort into this piece. The Vajra of Purification’s form was intricately carved with flame patterns. The vajra’s wrathful face, one hand holding a hook and the other a vajra, both bearing mudras, was crowned with a bone diadem and flanked by two coiled snakes. The entire statue was meticulously detailed, exuding a dynamic fluidity, as if the vajra was about to strike with its weapon, igniting flames to purge all impurities from the world. Due to the material, the black jade wasn’t uniformly dark, with some areas of white jade interspersed. These white patches were carved into the peaks of the flames, adding to the intensity. Both the use of color and the craftsmanship were bold and unique, making the piece truly captivating.

Wei Yang inwardly praised Liu Qu’s growing skill, which explained Heipi’s anxiety. However, he didn’t let it show on his face. Instead, he pretended to examine the statue seriously, just like Zhang Xiuqi, before glancing at the latter, who shook his head.

Relieved, Wei Yang turned to Sang Yuqiao and said, “Mr. Sang, neither of us can see any issues with the Buddha statue. At the very least, there’s no malevolent energy attached to it.”

Sang Yuqiao’s furrowed brow didn’t relax. After all, these people were brought by the Liu Family. It was only natural for them to first claim the statue was fine. But if the statue wasn’t the problem, then what was?

Wei Yang, being the shrewd person he was, immediately noticed Sang Yuqiao’s doubt. With a smile, he said, “However, we can use some methods to check if there’s anything wrong in this room.”

With that, he pulled out a red string with a copper coin attached from his pocket and waved it in front of Sang Yuqiao, “Could I borrow a piece of tape?”

Surprised by the sudden appearance of a string, Sang Yuqiao hesitated for a moment before walking to his desk and pulling out a roll of double-sided tape, asking uncertainly, “Will this do?”

“Of course,” Wei Yang replied smoothly. He glanced around the room, then stacked two chairs together and carefully climbed up to attach the red string to the center of the ceiling with the tape. This move left not only Sang Yuqiao but also Heipi puzzled. Shouldn’t they be pulling out a feng shui compass at this point? Why a string?

Once the string was in place, Wei Yang climbed down and explained to the two men, “This is called a hanging pendulum, a simple method for detecting yin energy indoors. Copper coins are yang and usually repel yin energy. This ordinary coin can sensitively detect subtle yin forces. When it swings to one side, it means there’s yin energy on the opposite side, no matter how faint.”

This tool had indeed been prepared in advance. Among the methods for detecting yin energy, the hanging pendulum was one of the most showy techniques in the “sharp” feng shui world. After all, compared to a compass that wobbles left and right, a coin that moves on its own was far more impressive.

Hearing this explanation, Sang Yuqiao’s gaze involuntarily fixated on the copper coin. At first, the coin swayed uncertainly, but after about half a minute, it gradually stabilized. The thin red string stuck to the wall made the coin seem precarious… No, upon closer inspection, Sang Yuqiao realized it wasn’t precariously balanced but was actually swinging steadily in a fixed direction, like a tiny pendulum. And that direction was opposite to where the Buddha statue was placed on the curio shelf.

“What… what’s going on?” Even with some mental preparation, Sang Yuqiao was shocked. None of the previous feng shui masters had set up anything like this. All the windows in the room were closed, so there was no wind, and there were no magnetic objects nearby. How could the coin swing on its own? And if the Jade Buddha wasn’t the problem, why was the curio shelf showing signs of something amiss?

Compared to Sang Yuqiao’s alarm and Heipi’s curiosity, Wei Yang remained calm. Whether the hanging pendulum worked was uncertain, but if it did, it would make things easier. Moreover, the swing was so slight that even if there was a problem, it couldn’t be serious. Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity?

However, before he could speak, Zhang Xiuqi suddenly said, “I don’t sense any yin energy.”

What? Wei Yang was taken aback. Why couldn’t Brother Qi detect the problem? Yet, after saying this, Zhang Xiuqi walked straight to the curio shelf and picked up the Jade Buddha.

“Wait!” Sang Yuqiao immediately panicked, “You can’t just move that! What if something goes wrong!”

Wei Yang quickly caught on, taking the Buddha statue from Zhang Xiuqi and explaining, “The Buddha statue was fine where it was, but moving it caused an issue. It’s likely that the statue wasn’t clashing with negative energy but was actually suppressing the object causing the problem. Brother Ming, could you hold this for a moment?”

Heipi was more than willing to oblige, taking the statue and stepping back a few paces. As the Buddha was moved, the hanging pendulum’s swing increased slightly, but the direction remained opposite to the curio shelf. At this point, Sang Yuqiao fell silent, a sheen of sweat forming on his forehead as he muttered, “But I haven’t added anything to the shelf recently. It’s all old items…”

“Perhaps something has been there all along, gradually accumulating without showing itself,” Wei Yang said decisively, then turned to Zhang Xiuqi with a serious expression, “Brother, do you see it now?”

After a moment, Zhang Xiuqi shook his head and took a step back, “You handle it.”