In the end, it was Chen Yi who stepped forward to adjust the Feng Shui gourd to its proper position.
"Brother Chen, is that all? Don't you need to perform some ritual?"
Having witnessed Chen Yi's extraordinary "floating talisman" ability before, Wu Fatty felt this time was far too understated, lacking the grand spectacle of the previous occasion.
In his mind, the more dramatic the scene, the better the results.
"Ritual? That was a talisman. This Feng Shui gourd is far more powerful than any talisman. As long as you don't move it, I guarantee your business will recover within three days."
Chen Yi had already noticed the gourd beginning to take effect, absorbing the incoming malevolent energy like a whale swallowing water. The flow of negative energy into the shop had ceased entirely. Perhaps it wouldn't even take three days for the residual energy to dissipate completely.
By then, Wu Fatty's jewelry shop would not only recover its former prosperity but likely surpass it.
"That's great! That's great!"
Hearing Chen Yi's assurance, the heavy burden weighing on Wu Fatty's heart finally lifted.
"Well, since I've already lent a hand, I might as well go all the way. I'll resolve this completely for you now, so you don't have to wait three days!"
Adopting the demeanor of a master, Chen Yi made a show of crafting another "Lingbao Evil-Dissolving Talisman."
With the Feng Shui gourd handling the heavy lifting, the talisman didn't let Chen Yi down this time. In less than twenty minutes, all the remaining malevolent energy was completely dispelled.
Ordinarily, neither negative energy nor spiritual energy would be visible to the average person. However, the malevolent energy here had been so dense and the dragon's curse so oppressive that it had caused business to plummet and employees to faint inexplicably.
Now that the energy had been eradicated, everyone in the shop felt a warm sensation enveloping them, leaving their bodies relaxed and their breathing noticeably smoother.
Unconsciously, they looked at Chen Yi with awe in their eyes.
This was the kind of person one only read about in novels, saw in TV shows, or heard about in myths!
And yet, here he was, standing before them in the flesh. They wanted to approach him, to experience his presence up close, but for some reason, their feet wouldn't move. Even the bolder young women in the shop found themselves blushing and hesitant.
Wu Fatty, overjoyed beyond measure, wasted no time. Grateful for the complete resolution, he immediately took Chen Yi to the bank to transfer the payment.
With the money in hand, Chen Yi declined Wu Fatty's repeated invitations to a celebratory feast—he had other matters to attend to.
He had grown up in an orphanage and learned his craft on Fortune-Telling Street.
If Li Haoran and his wife were like his biological parents, then Old Master Han was undoubtedly his mentor.
Initially, Chen Yi had thought that the extraordinary abilities granted by the Dragon Commanding Manual would allow him to establish himself firmly on Feng Shui Street.
However, upon arriving there, he quickly realized that reality was not as simple as he had imagined.
Though he possessed great skill, he had no opportunities to showcase it.
For an entire month, not a single person sought him out for fortune-telling or Feng Shui consultations.
Even the charlatans who spouted nonsense fared better than he did. He was like an outcast, completely out of place among the people on Feng Shui Street.
This only made the once-arrogant young Chen Yi even more restless. He frequently clashed with others, whether through heated arguments or physical altercations. On one occasion, he was even chased across the city by a group wielding steel pipes.
Just when he was about to give up on this path and seek another way to make a living, Old Master Han extended a helping hand.
First, he familiarized Chen Yi with the unspoken rules of the trade. Then, he began taking Chen Yi along on house calls, introducing him as his personal disciple. Only then did Chen Yi manage to establish a foothold on Feng Shui Street and gain some recognition in Quancheng.
Although Old Master Han didn't teach Chen Yi any specific Feng Shui techniques or divination methods, he imparted invaluable life lessons and the skills needed to navigate the industry.
He taught him how to read people, how to win their trust, and how to tailor his words to suit different individuals.
A year ago, while on an out-of-town Feng Shui consultation, Old Master Han suffered a sudden stroke. To this day, he had not fully recovered and could only barely manage his daily needs.
In truth, most fortune-tellers and Feng Shui masters face various misfortunes in their later years. Some lose their speech due to mouth ulcers, while others develop vision problems, as if the heavens were exacting their punishment.
Old Master Han's life had been particularly tragic. Not only did he suffer illness in his old age, but his younger years were marked by loneliness and hardship.
His wife passed away early, leaving him to raise three children alone. Yet two of them died prematurely, one after the other.
It was only then that he realized his fate was marked by the "Five Afflictions and Three Deficiencies," specifically the afflictions of "widowhood" and "solitude," condemning him to a life devoid of familial joy.
When his youngest son was still in high school, Old Master Han used his connections to send him abroad, where he has since lived. Now, the son returns to visit only once every two or three years.
As a result, Old Master Han, like Li Haoran and his wife, treated Chen Yi as his own child.
On his way to visit the old man, Chen Yi bought two pounds of braised beef, a roast chicken, and a bottle of Niulanshan Erguotou.
To his surprise, Old Master Han wasn't alone this time. Two young people in their twenties were with him—a radiant young woman and a dashing young man, a pair that could only be described as perfectly matched.
"Chen Yi, let me introduce you. This is my granddaughter, Han Wenxue, who just returned from the United States. And this is her friend," the old man said cheerfully, clearly in high spirits.
"Hello, my name is Chen Yi."
Chen Yi scrutinized the pair, his gaze lingering on the young woman with particular intensity, bordering on rudeness.
The man beside her frowned slightly, his expression complex, as if he were watching a clumsy thief eyeing his most treasured possession.
There was both wariness and disdain in his eyes.
"I know you. Grandpa often mentioned you to me when I was in the U.S. Every time we spoke on the phone, he'd urge me to come back and meet his prized disciple. He even joked that if I liked you, I should bring you back to America. So, little junior brother, would you agree to that?"
Her Mandarin was fluent and pleasant, devoid of the awkwardness typical of overseas-born Chinese.
"Uh…"
Take me to America? Are American girls always this forward?
Chen Yi was at a loss for words. No matter how he responded, it felt inappropriate. He didn't even notice that Han Wenxue had gotten his seniority wrong.
"Haha, you didn't take that seriously, did you?"
Han Wenxue burst into laughter, leaving Chen Yi red-faced.
"Uh, no, I mean… not really…"
Her playful demeanor left Chen Yi flustered. The usually slick fortune-teller found himself completely out of his depth when faced with women lately.
"Haha, little junior brother, you're too adorable!" Han Wenxue laughed even harder. "Now I really want to take you back with me!"
"Girl, you've got it all wrong," Old Master Han interjected just in time to ease Chen Yi's embarrassment. "He's my disciple, and you're my granddaughter. By rights, you should call him 'uncle.' It's hardly appropriate for a niece to tease her uncle!"
"But Grandpa," Han Wenxue protested, clinging to the old man's arm coquettishly, "how can someone younger than me be my uncle? That's just unfair! I'm calling him junior brother, and that's final!"
"Fine, fine, whatever makes you happy. You young people these days…"
The old man shook his head with a smile, clearly doting on his granddaughter.