"What do you mean?" Luo Yan asked, frowning. "Are you planning to head back now?"
Chen Yi stepped out of the car and pointed at the house before them, giving her an unexpected answer.
"Head back? Of course not. If I'm not mistaken, Thief San is right here!"
"Here?"
Luo Yan glanced around in confusion.
The verdant mountains formed a natural spine, and the shimmering waters mirrored the sky, creating a scene of tranquil harmony.
There was no sign, no declaration, no bold announcement proclaiming: "Thief San is here!"
This guy must be making things up. Even if Thief San were hiding here, there was still a significant technical challenge to overcome.
Luo Yan scoffed, "There are over a dozen households here. By the time you search them one by one, he'll have long escaped. Is this your plan—an excuse for failure?"
She was well aware of how cunning Thief San was; every previous attempt to capture him had ended in failure.
So when Chen Yi casually declared he had pinpointed Thief San's hideout, she found it impossible to believe.
Chen Yi smiled faintly at her words. Dealing with law enforcement was truly exhausting. Who could have guessed this woman's mind was so full of twists and turns?
"There's no need to search every house. If I'm correct, Thief San should be hiding in that one."
He pointed toward the house on the farthest edge.
"Why that one?"
Luo Yan's question was succinct.
"Even if I explained, you wouldn't understand."
Chen Yi's response was equally concise.
"You—"
Luo Yan's teeth clenched in frustration. She was so infuriated by his cryptic reply that she wanted to slap him twice, just to teach him some manners.
"If you don't explain, how am I supposed to understand?"
Luo Yan forced the words through gritted teeth.
Seeing her on the verge of exploding, Chen Yi decided not to push her further. He patiently explained the reasoning behind his deduction in terms she could comprehend.
"There are over a dozen households here. How can you be so sure Thief San is in that particular house?"
Luo Yan's anger subsided slightly, but she voiced her biggest doubt.
"Do you see that cluster of graves? They're located at the northeast corner of that house—its Chou Gate," Chen Yi said, gesturing toward the conspicuous tombstones.
"In feng shui, the Chou Gate is associated with imprisonment and criminal misfortune. If a house's Chou Gate is compromised, its occupants are bound to be involved in theft or other crimes, and they may even face imprisonment. Additionally, graves, which are considered yin dwellings, inherently clash with yang dwellings. For them to be situated precisely at the Chou Gate is a grave taboo. This household is undoubtedly problematic."
"How confident are you?"
"What if I said I'm 100% sure?"
"I wouldn't believe you."
"Then why ask? Whether I'm lying or not, we'll know once we go inside!"
Sometimes, even the truth struggled to gain trust—especially in Chen Yi's case.
In modern society, most people dismissed feng shui and divination as mere trickery.
Even those who believed often fell victim to so-called "masters" and "experts," further marginalizing the already precarious field of feng shui and divination.
Luo Yan hesitated for a moment. She decided against notifying the police officers stationed a few hundred meters away and instead approached the house to knock on the door.
Chen Yi understood her intentions but could only watch helplessly.
Before long, a young man with dyed yellow hair opened the door, his expression unfriendly.
"I'm a police officer," Luo Yan said, flashing her badge.
"A police officer?"
The young man's heart skipped a beat.
His master had just come into a windfall, and now the police were here. Could it be that the usually cunning Thief San, who had always outsmarted the authorities, had slipped up this time?
To Yellow Hair, Thief San wasn't just a mentor but a savior. Five years ago, Yellow Hair and his brother had been street thugs. During a violent altercation, they were chased down and cornered. It was Thief San who had saved them and taught them the "art of theft."
For years, Yellow Hair had followed his master, living a life of luxury. Though there had been close calls with the law, Thief San's resourcefulness had always pulled them through unscathed.
A year ago, Yellow Hair's brother mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Since then, Yellow Hair had regarded Thief San as his only family.
Now, with the police knocking at their door, it was clear they weren't here for a friendly visit. As Thief San's loyal disciple, Yellow Hair felt it was his duty to protect his master. Otherwise, if word spread that he had betrayed his mentor, he'd never survive in their world.
The panic on his face was fleeting, quickly replaced with defiance. He stepped in front of Luo Yan and shouted, "So what if you're a cop? You think wearing that uniform gives you the right to bark orders?"
His voice was loud, partly to bolster his own courage and partly to alert his master and fellow disciples inside: the police were here!
"Step aside!"
Luo Yan's anger flared.
No one would feel calm after being insulted out of nowhere, especially when it was a direct affront to her profession and beliefs.
But what could she do? Insults weren't illegal.
"You think I'll just move because you told me to? Do you have a search warrant? Without one, I'll file a complaint against you for unlawful enforcement!"
Yellow Hair wanted to cite some legal jargon but, lacking education, could only come up with "unlawful enforcement."
Luo Yan hesitated. In her haste, she hadn't brought a search warrant.
Without one, regulations prohibited forced searches unless there were urgent circumstances that could be justified later. But she wasn't inclined to take that risk.
She couldn't justify a forced search based solely on Chen Yi's words. Doing so would require extensive paperwork, explanations, and post-event approvals—a bureaucratic nightmare.
Despite her frustration with Yellow Hair, she was already considering backing down.
Chen Yi, however, was no ordinary person. Known as the "Half-Immortal of Fengshui Street," he had a keen eye for reading people—a skill honed through countless interactions with all walks of life.
The moment Yellow Hair stepped out, Chen Yi could tell he was hiding something. Combined with his earlier feng shui analysis, Chen Yi was confident Thief San was inside.
He also noticed Luo Yan's brief hesitation and could guess her thoughts.
Giving up halfway wasn't his style. If Luo Yan was hesitating, he'd make the next move.
"I'll make you move!"
Chen Yi stepped forward, grabbed Yellow Hair's arm, twisted it forcefully, and pinned him to the ground.
"Ahhh! My arm! It's broken! Please, have mercy—I was wrong!"
Yellow Hair let out a blood-curdling scream.
"What are you doing?"
Luo Yan finally snapped out of her shock, glaring at Chen Yi in a mix of anger and disbelief.
"He's blocking us from entering. Clearly, he's hiding something!" Chen Yi looked every bit the impulsive hothead.
"You can't just assault someone without evidence!"
"Didn't you hit me at the police station without evidence?"
Chen Yi's aggrieved tone left Luo Yan speechless. She could only glare at him furiously before picking up her radio to signal the officers trailing behind them. She requested immediate backup.