The Mystical Feng Shui Files

Hu Tieming and I dragged Director Zhao back to the office, laying him down on a long bench nearby, both of us panting heavily.

Despite his slim appearance, he was surprisingly heavy!

“Have some water,” Hu Tieming offered, handing me a cup of purified water after fetching it from the side.

I took it and drank it down in one gulp, exhaling deeply. Tonight had been full of unexpected twists and turns, and we hadn’t managed to accomplish the main task.

After resting for a while, we checked the time. It was almost midnight.

Hu Tieming suggested, “Master Jiang, if we can’t finish tonight, we can continue tomorrow.”

I waved my hand dismissively. “Let’s take another look around. If nothing’s wrong here, I’ll have to consider the people around you.”

“Huh?” Hu Tieming was taken aback, and it took him a moment to respond, “No way!”

It seemed he understood what I meant.

The events of tonight had completely shattered his previous beliefs. From a staunch atheist to seeking out a feng shui master, and now witnessing a ghost firsthand, his ability to adapt was impressive.

“Could someone really be targeting me? I haven’t offended anyone!”

I remained silent. Human nature is unpredictable. It’s not always about whether you’ve offended someone; sometimes people just don’t like you for no reason. It’s not uncommon.

“Master Jiang, do you think I was just seeing things earlier?”

I looked at him. “Teacher Hu, it’s not just about ghosts. Many things exist whether you’ve seen them or not.”

Hu Tieming blinked, saying nothing. It seemed he was still reluctant to believe, yet he had no choice but to accept it.

I wondered how he would handle things if he encountered something similar in the future.

“That’s about it!” I stood up. “I’ll take one more look, then we can leave.”

“Alright, alright.”

I checked around his office once more, confirming there were no issues. It seemed my earlier suspicion was correct-the problem likely lay with someone close to him.

“What about Director Zhao?” Hu Tieming was hesitant to leave Director Zhao alone as we prepared to go.

I suggested, “Call the police. I won’t show up. Just tell them Director Zhao asked you to report it.”

“Will that work?”

“No problem,” I assured him, forming a finger seal and pressing it against Director Zhao’s forehead.

Director Zhao opened his eyes, looking a bit dazed. Soon, he stood up and stretched his body.

He didn’t look at us but quickly moved to his desk, taking out some paper and a pen from the drawer, and a tea canister from the cabinet behind him.

Then he sat at the desk and began writing.

Hu Tieming watched him in surprise, then glanced at me. I nodded towards him, and he walked over. “A confession… a confession?”

He looked up at me, and I smiled. “Now you can rest easy!”

“But…”

I quickly reassured him, “Don’t worry. He won’t remember me. Just let the police handle it when they arrive. I’ll be off now. Wait for me at home tomorrow night!”

“Alright,” Hu Tieming agreed reluctantly, escorting me to the elevator before returning to the office.

I left the place without using the main entrance, as it was surely locked by now. Instead, I took the small path Hu Tieming had shown me earlier.

By the time I got home, Aunt Liu and Shi Dan were already resting, but my master was still sitting in the shop, waiting for me.

“You’re back?”

“Yeah,” I replied, taking a seat across from him.

“Didn’t get it done?” he asked, looking at me.

“That’s right.” I recounted the events of the evening to my master in full detail.

After listening, he nodded. “Alright, I see. Go wash up and get some sleep. You can go back tomorrow.”

“Aren’t you going to sleep?” I asked, standing up to head upstairs.

“When you get old, you sleep less. I’ll sit here for a bit longer.”

I glanced at him, seeing he was engrossed in an ancient book, so I didn’t disturb him further and went upstairs.

Shi Dan was already asleep. I set down my bag, grabbed some clean clothes, and went to shower before quietly returning to my room and lying down in the black coffin.

That night, my sleep was restless, haunted by the image of the female ghost jumping from the school building.

When I woke up in the morning, I was drenched in sweat. Shi Dan was peering over the coffin, grinning at me.

“Hey, you’re awake!”

“Yeah, what time is it?” I asked, sitting up.

“It’s seven! Mom said you came back late, so if you haven’t had enough sleep, you can rest a bit more. I’ve already opened the shop.”

“No, I’m up!” I quickly got out of bed, wiping the sweat from my neck, and grabbed some clothes. “I’ll go freshen up. You go on ahead.”

“Okay!” Shi Dan replied and dashed off.

Once I was refreshed and went downstairs, my master and the others had already eaten, but they had left some food for me on the table.

“Go eat,” Aunt Liu said with a smile.

“Alright,” I replied, peeking into the shop to look for my master, but he wasn’t there. “Where’s my master?” I asked Aunt Liu as I sat down for breakfast.

“He went out early and said he might not be back today. We don’t need to wait for him to eat.”

I didn’t ask further. My master often did this, and I figured he had taken the red cloth bag I brought back yesterday to the temple.

Whenever we captured a malevolent ghost that couldn’t be vanquished or exorcised, we handled it this way.

After breakfast, Aunt Liu shooed me off as she collected the dishes to wash.

I thanked her with a smile and headed into the shop.

Shi Dan was diligently polishing the ritual instruments.

I took a glance and saw he was doing a good job. He looked up and gave me a silly grin.

“Yeah, keep at it!” I nodded, then sat down in the old tree root chair and brewed a cup of tea, just like my master often did.

I felt like I was becoming more and more like my master, even mimicking his tea-brewing gestures.

While I was pondering where my master might have gone, the phone suddenly rang.

It was Hu Tieming calling.

As soon as I answered, he exclaimed, “Master Jiang? You’re amazing!”

I chuckled. “What’s up?”

“It’s about Director Zhao, isn’t it?” Hu Tieming sighed audibly, “You were spot on. When the police saw what he wrote, they took him away immediately. The tea canister was full of pills. Guess what he wrote? It wasn’t just one girl; there were over ten. But they kept quiet until one committed suicide. It’s true that man proposes, but God disposes! The school is on break, but the news got out somehow. Several victimized girls went to the detective squad, and even our principal was alerted. The education bureau got involved too. In short, he’s done for!”

I had anticipated this outcome, so I wasn’t surprised.

After Hu Tieming finished speaking, he realized I hadn’t responded for a while. “Master Jiang? Are you still there?”

“I’m here,” I replied. “It was just a coincidence yesterday, and I didn’t get a chance to deal with your issue. I’ll come to see you tonight. In the meantime, make a list of people you frequently interact with, and we’ll discuss it when I get there.”

“Oh, okay, okay!” Hu Tieming said quickly. “I thought it was just the female ghost causing my bad luck!”

In fact, he wasn’t entirely wrong. Having something unclean nearby, even if it’s not directly targeting you, can still cause you to absorb some yin energy, leading to bad luck.

“Teacher Hu!” A woman’s voice suddenly came through the phone.

“Oh, you’re here. Have a seat!” Hu Tieming said to her. “Master Jiang, I have a student here. I’ll wait for you tonight!”