Dream Walker: Feng Shui Master Bai Ya

The Liu family's villa was much larger than Shang Muchen had imagined.

This three-story mansion with two basement floors is located in the middle of a very private luxury residential area, on the edge of the most low-key and little-known development zone on the outskirts of Yanji City, but with convenient transportation.

The mansion has a floor area of ​​nearly a thousand square meters and an even larger yard. Shang Muchen couldn't help but sigh that if he could stay in such a house for one night, his life would not have been in vain.

After passing through two security checkpoints at the main gate of the residential area and the private courtyard of the mansion, Shang Muchen followed his fourth uncle and happily entered the courtyard. He was greeted by Liu's father, who was dressed in casual clothes, Liu Qingyang, who was dressed in sportswear, a guard, and a very tall woman.

The woman was quite conspicuous; she was probably in her thirties or forties, with delicate features. She wore a seemingly simple but actually quite high-end suit and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

"Brother Liu, hello!" Uncle Si shook hands warmly.

The guard stepped forward, wanting to help Uncle Si carry his bag, but hesitated when he saw the tattered cloth bag Uncle Si was carrying, and then stepped back.

Shang Muchen guessed that the guard probably thought the bag in his fourth uncle's hand contained gifts, but the tattered cloth bag only contained a water cup.

Old Man Liu shook hands amicably with Fourth Uncle, gesturing for everyone to follow him inside.

Liu Qingyang leaned close to Shang Muchen's ear and whispered, "Feng shui? You really know how?"

"First is fate, second is luck, and third is feng shui. Feng shui comes after fate."

What is destined to be yours will be yours, and what is not, you cannot force. Everyone strives to maximize their own benefit and minimize their own harm.

Shang Muchen had only heard his fourth uncle say these two sentences, and he memorized them, using them to fool Liu Qingyang without any rhyme or reason.

Liu Qingyang was stunned by these two sentences, pouting and nodding repeatedly.

"Sigh, you're right. As for me... never mind, I'm not talking to you anymore."

Liu Qingyang showed a regretful expression.

Shang Muchen didn't dare to ask further, because he only knew those two lines, and he was afraid of giving himself away if he said too much.

"This lady comes from an extraordinary background!" Fourth Uncle nodded repeatedly to the tall woman beside Liu's father, "Judging from your appearance, hmm... you exude an air of nobility, you must be a cultivator."

May I ask, sir, are you cultivating Taoism or practicing martial arts?

Hmm, I think it's martial arts training?

Haha, am I right?

These words stunned Shang Muchen and Liu Qingyang, and even Liu's father was embarrassed. He smiled and introduced, "Guoning, how did you know that Professor Ai practices martial arts?"

Professor Eileen is a senior specially appointed researcher at the 901 Research Institute and a doctoral supervisor at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Lishan University of Technology; she is a true scientist.

"Mr. Shang Guoning, I've heard Commander Liu introduce you before, and meeting you today, you truly are extraordinary." The female professor named Eileen adjusted her glasses and asked with a smile, "How did you know I practiced martial arts?"

"Oh, Professor Ai, you really practiced martial arts? I didn't realize that!" Old Man Liu asked in surprise.

Professor Eileen nodded gracefully and said, "I've always practiced this family-inherited martial art as a form of exercise, just for fun. I've practiced it for many years, but I've never shown it off to anyone."

As a middle-aged woman, I need to exercise and take good care of myself, otherwise I'll get old, haha.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Shang Muchen asked Liu Qingyang in a low voice with a hint of smugness. "See that? That's called 'Welcoming Palm,' using words to get you under control first, seeing through your weaknesses at a glance. Are you impressed?"

Liu Qingyang clicked her tongue and whispered, "I've known Professor Ai for several years, and I didn't even know she practiced martial arts."

I'm so envious of her height! She has such a great figure. I thought she used to be a model or gymnast, but I never imagined she practiced martial arts.

Old Master Liu asked his fourth uncle in surprise, "Guoning, how did you tell that Professor Ai had practiced martial arts?"

Uncle Si smiled, revealing a mouthful of rotten teeth, and said nonchalantly, "Brother Liu, this is my skill."

To be honest, my approach to feng shui is different from that of most people. I have my own methods, haha.

"Fourth Uncle, I understand this," Shang Muchen interjected. "Feng shui is about 'finding the dragon vein and dividing the gold by looking at the winding mountains; each winding mountain is a barrier'..."

"Stop!" Fourth Uncle shook his head repeatedly, waved to Shang Muchen, and said to the others, "Little Chen, you should read fewer novels."

Rivals are enemies in the same trade. I'm also a man of the martial arts world, so I don't need to look down on those brothers who make a fortune through "eight-character mantras".

However, the so-called "mountain medicine, fate, physiognomy and divination" are just businesses to make a living, not the true path of cultivation.

The art of geomancy involves superior practitioners observing the movement of the true qi of the stars in the universe, which is considered as geomancy.

The sergeant observes the mountains and rivers, determines the location of people living in sunny places, and regards this as the geography.

Only lower-ranking officials are qualified to examine burial sites; such individuals are considered sorcerers.

Without exaggeration, my skill lies in the art of astronomy, and the key lies in the two words "observing qi".

Whether a house's fortune is auspicious from the east or inauspicious from the west, one can tell at a glance.

"I'm not ignorant of those compass directions, mantras, or physiognomy manuals, but they're unnecessary and too verbose."

Old Man Liu inadvertently revealed a look of doubt, but Professor Eileen nodded repeatedly and said with respect, "Master Shang, I understand what you mean."

Your point is that when a top mathematician faces a difficult mathematical problem, their first thought is not to use a computer to model it, or to rush to look up parameters in a database.

He would first think about the question itself, then figure out the general research direction, and then use his mathematical intuition to judge the approximate range of the answer to the question.

Am I right?

"Oh my! Professor Ai really knows how to talk! Xiao Chen, you should learn from him. He gets straight to the point with just a few words!" Uncle Si nodded happily and said.

"Whether it's a feng shui master or a fortune teller, they all have to be good at judging people and understand human nature!"

If we want to make a living in this world of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry), we must first understand people themselves.

As the saying goes, "Man proposes, God disposes," and "Heaven's will is in the hearts of men." We should look to man as we look to heaven.

A flawed feng shui arrangement doesn't mean that bad luck will come from the wrong direction of a stone lion, or that you'll get rich by placing a three-legged toad somewhere.

A house is an external manifestation of a person's spirit and energy. Problems in the feng shui layout are actually the owner's own mental anxieties, which are then manifested externally.

Treating feng shui is only treating the symptoms; treating the heart is the real cure!

As he spoke, Fourth Uncle gently tapped the head of the stone lion at the entrance of the mansion with his finger, deliberately looking at Old Man Liu as he spoke.

Shang Muchen was a little puzzled. He vaguely noticed that Old Man Liu seemed to be unsettled and looked ashamed after what his fourth uncle had said.

He whispered to Liu Qingyang, "Hey, is your dad troubled?"

"I understand perfectly. With strange things happening at home, how could he not be troubled?" Liu Qingyang said softly. "My dad worked hard his whole life to build this big house, but now he can't even live in it. How could he not feel awkward?"

Shang Muchen laughed, "Your dad wouldn't dare live here, so you can give it to me. With such a nice house, I'd even accept it being haunted. I'm not afraid of living in a haunted house, haha."

"It's just a ghost story, that's all. It's not as simple as you think... Sigh, I can't explain it to you!" Liu Qingyang shook her head repeatedly.