Having exacted a bit of revenge, Chen Yi didn't dare look back as he bolted from the scene. He flagged down a taxi and hurried home without a moment's hesitation.
The day had left him utterly drained. The moment he returned to his cramped little rental apartment, he collapsed onto the bed, determined not to move a muscle.
The apartment wasn't large—barely twenty square meters. In the slums of Quancheng, it was the standard layout: one bedroom, one living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Though small, it had all the essentials.
Despite the limited space, the room felt neither cramped nor chaotic. Instead, it was impeccably clean and organized, exuding a refreshing sense of tranquility. It was as though this little haven existed in a world entirely separate from the chaos outside.
Feng Shui is a mysterious art, one that modern science cannot explain. No matter how advanced the instruments or theories, they cannot measure the so-called fortunes or misfortunes it governs.
Yet Feng Shui has persisted, surviving thousands of years.
No matter how the tides of history shift or how many times it has been suppressed, Feng Shui always resurfaces, as resilient as weeds sprouting through cracks in the pavement.
As modern philosophy puts it: "What exists is reasonable."
If it were mere superstition, how could it endure for millennia and spread across the globe?
The truth lies in its inexplicable power—a power that can elevate one to great heights or bring utter ruin.
And Feng Shui masters are the ones who wield this power.
As a Feng Shui master, albeit an inexperienced yet skilled one, Chen Yi paid meticulous attention to Feng Shui.
All Feng Shui principles are built upon a foundation of cleanliness, order, and proper ventilation.
Without a clean and organized environment, even the most intricate Feng Shui formations would be rendered useless, like pouring water into the desert only for it to vanish into the sand.
Of course, Chen Yi's apartment wasn't just clean—it was also carefully arranged with a few simple Feng Shui formations.
Simple doesn't mean ineffective. Everything must be tailored to the circumstances; suitability is key.
It's true that large-scale Feng Shui formations are more potent, but in a space as small as Chen Yi's, there was no room for such grandeur.
Time flowed like a river, and before long, the sun sank behind the mountains, casting the world into twilight.
Lying on his bed, Chen Yi replayed the events of the day in his mind, particularly his battle with Wang Wu.
No matter how miserably Wang Wu had lost, it was undeniable that he was a formidable opponent. Even Luo Yan, a standout among the police force, had been slightly outmatched by him.
Yet Chen Yi had managed to defeat him with ease—a feat that would have been unimaginable in the past.
Ever since the day he obtained the Dragon Taming Scripture, Chen Yi had felt a faint, elusive energy within him. However, it had been so subtle that he hadn't paid it much attention.
Now, he could clearly sense that this energy had grown stronger as he advanced into the Divine Intent Realm. What had once been as fine as a strand of hair was now as solid as a steel needle, its strength having multiplied several times over.
Perhaps this newfound energy was the reason behind his enhanced physical abilities.
But just how much had he improved? Chen Yi was still unsure.
Determined to find out, he sprang up from his bed with a nimbleness that made the old, creaky frame groan in protest.
The simplest test was push-ups. Chen Yi usually managed around 80 push-ups in a minute. This time, he completed 203 in the same span—and still felt he had energy to spare.
He vividly remembered the Guinness World Record for one-minute push-ups being 199. Yet he had just done 237!
After catching his breath and relaxing his arms, Chen Yi set the stopwatch on his second-hand Nokia phone and prepared for another test. This time, he set the duration to 30 minutes.
A single minute was too short to reveal much.
When the half-hour was up, Chen Yi could hardly believe the results—he had done 2,476 push-ups, shattering yet another world record.
Even Chen Yi himself was stunned.
Breaking a record in one minute demonstrated explosive strength, but sustaining such performance for thirty minutes proved his endurance was equally monstrous—practically superhuman.
Elated, Chen Yi could feel the power coursing through every part of his body, not just his arms. In terms of overall physical fitness, he far surpassed any world record holder.
With a self-satisfied toss of his hair, he mused whether he should switch careers—perhaps try out for the Olympics or take up basketball.
After all, Michael Jordan was on his second comeback, and his performance was declining day by day. Maybe it was time for Chen Yi to step in and take over, breaking all of Jordan's records one by one until the legend had nowhere left to cry.
Of course, this was all just idle fantasy. Besides his lack of interest in basketball, success in the sport required more than brute strength.
Moreover, Chen Yi had bigger ambitions—Feng Shui.
Feng Shui wasn't just about personal gain; it could benefit nations and even humanity as a whole. A well-executed Feng Shui formation could drive the development of an entire city. Cities like Beijing and Wall Street, for instance, were said to have been shaped by the handiwork of master Feng Shui practitioners.
But knowing Chen Yi's selfish and miserly nature, it was unlikely he'd ever undertake such altruistic endeavors.
Large-scale Feng Shui formations weren't something one could simply set up on a whim. They required the perfect alignment of time, place, and people. A single misstep could lead to unimaginable consequences for the Feng Shui master, potentially even cursing their descendants for three generations.
In the unseen realms, an invisible ledger records the deeds and misdeeds of every Feng Shui master. This is the origin of the folk saying about the "Five Misfortunes and Three Deficiencies."
The Five Misfortunes refer to being widowed, orphaned, childless, lonely, or disabled. It's said that Feng Shui masters might never find a partner, end up as lifelong bachelors or widows, or have children who die prematurely. They might even lose limbs and become disabled.
The Three Deficiencies refer to a lack of wealth, longevity, or power. While Chen Yi had no aspirations for political power, the thought of lacking money or life was no laughing matter. Wealth without health, or vice versa, was a cruel joke no one wanted to endure.
Thus, keeping a low profile was the golden rule. Quietly amassing wealth was the wisest course of action.
Chen Yi had long wanted to upgrade the Feng Shui formations in his apartment, specifically to set up a Four Symbols Spirit Gathering Formation.
This formation was a creation of his ancestor, the Tang dynasty sage Chen Tuan.
In an era where the average lifespan was barely fifty and even emperors rarely lived past sixty, Chen Tuan had lived to the remarkable age of 118. He was a veritable "living fossil," robust and full of vitality until the end.
Legend has it that Chen Tuan's longevity was partly due to his exceptional alchemy skills. However, few knew that his residence was arranged with a Four Symbols Spirit Gathering Formation.
This formation could draw the spiritual energy of nearby dragon veins, nourishing the body and enhancing one's fortune.
More importantly, it could amplify the spiritual energy within Chen Yi himself. That energy, derived from dragon veins, was the lifeblood of a Feng Shui master.
Without it, a Feng Shui master would lose all their abilities—whether crafting talismans, consecrating artifacts, or predicting fortunes and calamities.
Enhancing this spiritual energy was crucial for a Feng Shui master's growth.
As one advanced in the art, progress became increasingly difficult, requiring ever greater amounts of spiritual energy. The Four Symbols Spirit Gathering Formation was like a direct pipeline to this vital resource.
Relying solely on natural accumulation could take an eternity. Who knew how long it would take to gather enough energy for the next breakthrough? It might even require a life-or-death crisis to force a sudden leap forward.
For Chen Yi, the Four Symbols Spirit Gathering Formation was an essential step toward further advancement.
In the past, he had lacked the ability to set up such a powerful formation. But now, having reached the Divine Intent Realm, his skills and understanding of Feng Shui had reached new heights. What once seemed impossible was now within reach.
However, setting up the formation required more than just skill—it also demanded specialized artifacts, which Chen Yi lacked.
High-quality artifacts were exceedingly rare. Even when they did appear, they commanded astronomical prices and were often unavailable for purchase.
Though Chen Yi had fifty thousand yuan in savings, barely enough to buy the lowest-grade set of artifacts and modify them for better performance, that money was earmarked for the orphanage. He wouldn't touch a single cent of it for himself.
And so, a beautiful dream was shattered by cold reality.
In short, Chen Yi's greatest need right now was money. The orphanage needed money, and so did he.
This left him feeling uneasy. Was he cursed with the "lack of wealth" from the Five Misfortunes and Three Deficiencies? No matter how much he earned, it was never enough.
For the next few days, Chen Yi returned to his stall on Feng Shui Street, resuming his monotonous routine.
The things you desire most are often the hardest to obtain. Heaven seems to delight in testing your patience, wearing you down until you're utterly exhausted.
Chen Yi's earnings during this time were pitiful—barely a third of his usual income.
In an entire week, he made less than a thousand yuan, despite a steady stream of customers.
But quantity didn't equal quality. Most clients came for trivial matters like picking wedding dates or naming their children, services for which he only charged fifty yuan as a token fee. He even received several bags of celebratory candy as "payment."
Today was even worse. Aside from a single officer from the police department, not a single person showed up.
That officer, however, nearly drove Chen Yi mad. He had come seeking medical treatment.
Chen Yi was a Feng Shui master, not a quack selling miracle cures. He didn't have some magical ointment to restore vitality with a single application.
After much effort, Chen Yi finally managed to send the officer away.
"Master Chen! Master Chen! You must save me!"
Just as Chen Yi sat there brooding, a round, white figure suddenly rolled into view, hurtling toward him like a cannonball.