The Mystical Feng Shui Files - Chapter 2 - Yet Another Visit

Once I saw her leave for real, I finally let out a long breath. This teenage body of mine couldn’t handle such situations-there was this strange tightness, and my whole body felt uncomfortably hot.

I quickly shut the shop door and rushed to the back to take a cold shower.

But the lingering fragrance from Tang Lian and those mischievous, sparkling eyes of hers seemed to have taken permanent residence in my mind. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake her off. For several nights in a row, she even appeared in my dreams.

A week later, my master returned. He carried the dust of the road on him but also brought back some tasty treats.

We sat in the dining room at the back, sharing a meal.

“Did any work come in while I was away?” he asked.

I hesitated for a moment before answering, “…Just one person. I didn’t take it.”

His hand paused mid-air. “A Tang?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of person?”

“A girl, about my age. She said her name was Tang Lian. Before she left, she mentioned something she said would make you take the job.” For some reason, my face flushed again as I spoke.

“What did she say?”

“Purple-gold compass.”

My master fell silent for a moment. “Let’s eat.”

After dinner, he went straight into his study and shut the door behind him.

I stared at that closed door as I quietly cleared the table, my mind wandering again to why my master always warned me not to take jobs from anyone with the surname Tang before he left on trips.

For so many years, we’d never encountered anyone with that surname. And now, suddenly, one appeared-and my master’s reaction was anything but ordinary.

That study of his was filled with items from his sect, including a spirit tablet he said belonged to our ancestor master.

I couldn’t read the characters inscribed on it. The only time I’d been in that room was the day I first came back with my master, when I bowed before the tablet. Since then, I hadn’t stepped foot inside.

My master stayed in the study the entire night. By the next morning, though, he was back to his usual self.

He sat in the shop, sipping tea, reading the newspaper, and watching me as I polished the shop’s displays.

After Tang Lian’s visit, she didn’t come back. I figured she must’ve found someone else to help her and wouldn’t be returning.

But then, a month later, she showed up again.

This time, she was dressed differently. She wore a pale yellow qipao that hugged her petite frame, accentuating her delicate curves. Her long hair was braided into two neat plaits, giving her the air of an old-fashioned, demure young lady.

She wasn’t alone this time. She brought someone with her and carried several large boxes-filled with either expensive supplements or high-end ingredients.

At that moment, I was standing by the antique shelf, polishing a ritual instrument. When I saw her enter, I instinctively turned to look at my master.

He remained seated in his old wooden chair, sipping tea as if nothing had happened.

Tang Lian gave him a slight bow. “Master Wu, my name is Tang Lian. I’ve come today because my father is gravely ill, beyond the help of any doctor. I humbly request your assistance in selecting a suitable yin house. These gifts are but a token of my respect.”

After she finished speaking, she tilted her head slightly, prompting the person behind her to quickly place the boxes on a nearby table.

“Please accept these, Master Wu,” Tang Lian added, her tone polite and respectful.

My master lifted his gaze, giving her a brief glance before his eyes narrowed slightly. “So, the Tang Family’s chosen heir. The Ziwei Star enters the palace¹-a fine fate indeed.”

“Master, you flatter me,” Tang Lian replied with a sweet smile.

“However, please leave. I won’t take on any matters related to the Tang Family.”

Hearing this, I instinctively held my breath and paused what I was doing, curious to see how Tang Lian would respond.

“If Master is willing to help, aside from the service fee, we have prepared a significant gift,” Tang Lian said with a faint smile. Seeing that Master remained silent, she continued, “We have found clues to the treasure your sect lost. We are willing to retrieve it and return it to you without any conditions.”

I couldn’t help but wonder-was she talking about the purple-gold compass?

Finally, Master reacted. He put down his newspaper, stood up, and shouted angrily, “Get out!”

“Master Wu!” Tang Lian’s expression changed. “I came here sincerely to ask for your help. Can’t you at least show me some courtesy?”

“Is Tang Tiande dead?” Master roared. “If he’s not dead, why is he looking for a yin house? He’s been doing things that harm yin virtue². Don’t think I don’t know what he’s up to. Go back and tell him this: If he dies, scatter his ashes into the sea. That way, he won’t occupy a good burial site and taint others’ path to reincarnation!”

Those words were harsh.

Even I felt a chill run through me. In our line of work, the phrase “scatter the ashes” was as severe as it got. What had Tang Tiande done to offend my master so deeply that he would say such things?

I had never seen Master this furious before. Worried about how Tang Lian, a young woman, might handle such harsh words, I quickly glanced at her.

Her face had turned pale, her lips trembling. She bowed slightly and said, “I apologize. I don’t wish to speak about matters concerning my elders. I’m sorry for upsetting Master Wu. I’ll leave for now and return in a few days. I hope by then, Master Wu will reconsider and change his mind.”

“Young miss, you’re being far too kind to him!” The man accompanying Tang Lian said angrily. “If he’s treating you like this, let me teach him a lesson!”

“Enough!” Tang Lian scolded him sharply. “Apologize to Master Wu immediately!”

Hearing this, I froze mid-motion, just as I was about to step forward to deal with the man. “Young miss!”

“Apologize!” Tang Lian’s tone was stern. “If you don’t, you won’t be following me anymore!”

“Sorry,” the man muttered reluctantly.

Master snorted coldly and turned away, ignoring them completely.

After they left, I quickly approached Master. “Are you alright?”

“Throw their things out,” Master ordered.

Without hesitation, I grabbed the items they had brought and tossed them outside. Closing the door behind me, I stood there, watching them.

Tang Lian stood by the car, looking at me. Her eyes seemed to hold countless unspoken words, but I couldn’t understand them-and frankly, I didn’t want to.

“Let’s go,” Tang Lian said as she got into the car, and they drove off.

“Ziwu!” Master called from inside. “Close the shop. We’re heading out for a few days.”

“Got it!” I responded quickly, shutting the shop door. I hurried to the back, grabbed a few changes of clothes for both of us, and packed them into a backpack.

I couldn’t help but wonder why Master suddenly decided to leave. Was he trying to avoid the Tang Family, or was there another reason?

I didn’t dare ask. I simply followed Master out of the old street, flagged down a taxi, and heard him instruct the driver, “To the long-distance bus station.”

“Master, where are we going?” I finally couldn’t hold back and asked once we were in the car.

“I’ve taken on a job,” Master replied, then closed his eyes, saying nothing more.

I kept glancing at him, my mind racing with questions I dared not voice.

“The Tang Family’s matters have nothing to do with you,” Master said, eyes still closed, as if he knew exactly what I wanted to ask.

“Understood,” I replied, though I felt unsatisfied. But since Master had spoken, I swallowed my questions and kept quiet.

Lin County wasn’t too far from Jiang City-just a two-hour ride by bus.

However, our destination wasn’t in the county itself but in a more remote area: a place called Stone Village.

We took a local bus for the first leg of the journey, but the final stretch was a mountain path we had to walk ourselves.

After trekking for over an hour, we finally reached a village surrounded by mountains, bamboo forests, and uneven farmland. The scenery was breathtaking.

Suddenly, I noticed someone squatting by the roadside. When he turned his head, I saw him holding a bug in his hand, chewing on it. He grinned at me, and I felt my scalp tingle.

The boy looked young, maybe thirteen or fourteen. His eyes were murky, his hair a tangled mess like wild grass, and his clothes were so filthy they had hardened into crusty layers.

“Master, his face is shrouded in black mist, and there’s a red thread on his forehead. A malevolent spirit has entered his body!” I said to Master.

Footnote:

1. Ziwei Star Enters the Palace(紫薇入宫):In Chinese astrology, this phrase refers to an auspicious alignment where the Ziwei Star, symbolizing nobility, leadership, and destiny, occupies a central position in one’s fate or chart, suggesting great fortune, authority, and a prosperous future.
2. Yin Virtue(阴德):Refers to unseen moral deeds that affect one’s karma and spiritual balance in Chinese culture.