Feng Shui Chapter 123: Apprenticeship and Learning

A few days after passing the news to Hu Qingyun, he invited Chen Xiao once again to the City Lord’s Mansion. Upon arriving, Chen Xiao encountered an unexpected person, Shen Yanxing and his bodyguard were there too!

Shen Yanxing had changed into a different set of clothes, even more luxurious than before. He was completely unlike the pure jade and antique enthusiast he had seemed that day. Today, his demeanor was calm and composed, more like a scheming scion of a complicated noble family.

With a steady smile, Shen Yanxing said, “I heard from Qingyun that Master Chen is a feng shui expert. Knowing you would come, I shamelessly asked Qingyun to let me witness your feng shui skills. Please forgive the intrusion, Master Chen.”

Chen Xiao was surprised for a moment but quickly composed himself. Xi Yunqing furrowed his brow briefly before relaxing.

Chen Xiao replied, “It’s an honor that you’re interested in feng shui, Young Master Shen. How could I find fault with that?”

After some polite exchanges, Hu Qingyun brought over a decorative piece. The jade pendant couldn’t be simply displayed on its own, so Hu Qingyun had someone set the jade in gold wire, crafting it into a gold-inlaid jade ornament.

Hu Qingyun asked, “Master Chen, does this look suitable to you?”

Chen Xiao nodded, taking it in his hands and said, “Yes, it will do.”

Everyone watched as he carefully placed the ornament on the upper left corner of the desk. Then he cautioned, “Leave the ornament here and don’t move it. If it must be moved for cleaning, make sure to return it promptly.”

With this feng shui talisman stabilizing the space, the courtyard would soon develop a strong energy field. The energy nurtures the talisman, and the talisman in turn strengthens the energy, a mutually reinforcing relationship. That’s the advantage of using a true feng shui artifact. Ordinary feng shui decorations only have temporary effects and need frequent replacement.

Is that all? Hu Qingyun felt a bit unreal about it. No grand phenomena, nothing earth-shattering, just this simple routine.

He glanced subtly at Shen Yanxing. Inviting him here had been a last resort. If he had revealed the true purpose, Shen Yanxing would never have agreed to sell the jade pendant no matter the price. Instead, the other party had pushed hard and showed no fear of Hu Qingyun’s status as the City Lord’s son. To avoid complications, Hu Qingyun had no choice but to consent to his presence.

With Shen Yanxing there, Hu Qingyun didn’t dare ask directly and instead vaguely said, “Master Shen, how long before the feng shui takes effect?”

Chen Xiao answered, “Patience is key. It takes time for the energy to converge. At the earliest, three to five days; at the longest, three to five months before you’ll see results.”

Manager Hong grew impatient: “Master Chen, three to five months would be too late!”

Suddenly, a loud voice called from outside, making everyone in the room except Xi Yunqing jump.

Hu Qingyun quickly went out and said, “Father, you’re here?”

The old City Lord’s voice came through: “What have you been doing coming and going these days? Not focusing on your cultivation? Your older brother told me he often sees you with people of unknown backgrounds. This situation isn’t stable yet, don’t get too close to strangers. What, you’re unhappy? I’m only concerned for you.”

Hu Qingyun sighed helplessly. “Big brother worries too much. I just invited a few fellow cultivators to exchange experiences because I haven’t had enough practice.”

The old City Lord hummed and said, “Don’t take your second brother’s complaints to heart. After all, this is your home, you should be comfortable. Don’t worry about the expenses; you don’t have to use official funds. I’ll cover it for you.”

Hu Qingyun replied somewhat unsteadily, “Thank you for your concern, Father.”

After their conversation, the old City Lord wanted to meet his youngest son’s friends. But as soon as he saw who they were, his expression changed drastically.

He quickly strode over to Shen Yanxing and bowed, saying, “I wasn’t aware the Fourth Prince was here. This old man has been remiss.”

Chen Xiao’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden shift, while Xi Yunqing remained expressionless.

Shen Yanxing was actually the son of the new king. This unexpected twist set off a chain reaction. The old City Lord truly thought Hu Qingyun and Shen Yanxing were friends. If his youngest son could strengthen ties with the royal next generation, even a prince without inheritance rights like the Fourth Prince, that would be a considerable advantage.

Since he was associating with a prince, Hu Qingyun’s status could no longer be low. A few days later, the old City Lord made a decision: Hu Qingyun would become the new City Lord of Jin City and would accompany him to the capital, while Hu Qinglu would act as the City Lord in Jin City. Hu Qingzhi, the eldest, was most dissatisfied but had no say. Fortunately, the old City Lord granted him substantial properties in the city, enough for both cultivation and comfort in the future.

After the feng shui arrangement was completed, Chen Xiao gained a large influx of fortune. Though not as abundant as what the Han family from Hanshan City provided, it was still very generous. It not only completely made up for the energy consumed in drawing talismans and using the compass but even left a surplus. This was enough for Chen Xiao to live a lavish life of crafting two Vital Energy Thunder Talismans at a time, throwing one away after using the other.

This put Chen Xiao in high spirits lately, and Hu Qingyun’s repeated amazement didn’t wear on his patience. This time it wasn’t purely the feng shui’s effect, Hu Qingyun’s luck was just that good, and at the crucial moment, a benefactor appeared.

Chen Xiao accepted the large reward Hu Qingyun offered without hesitation. After all, without Hu Qingyun’s guidance, he wouldn’t have met Shen Yanxing.

Shen Yanxing had been visiting frequently recently, causing Xi Yunqing’s cold expressions to appear more often. Since Shen came to seek feng shui advice, and knowing how eager Chen Xiao was for more people to understand feng shui, Xi Yunqing couldn’t simply turn him away.

The more Shen Yanxing learned about feng shui, the more fascinated he became. One day, he even formally requested to become Chen Xiao’s apprentice.

“You want to apprentice under me?” Chen Xiao asked, surprised to see Shen Yanxing seriously kneeling and bowing. “Why? If you’re interested, I can teach you without you needing to formally apprentice.”

But Shen Yanxing said, “In the cultivation world, learning someone’s inheritance means that person is your master. That is our Shen family’s rule: one must formally apprentice to learn a craft. So please, accept me as your disciple.”

Chen Xiao looked at him puzzled. “You’re a prince with plenty of options to study metaphysics. There’s no need to choose someone like me, unknown and low in cultivation, as your master.”

Shen Yanxing gave a bitter smile. “Because none of those arts suit me. Only feng shui is something I can pursue. My status as a cultivator was arranged by my father through power, I’m an ordinary person with no innate spiritual roots.” He lowered his head, unwilling to meet the pitying looks. “Among my father’s children, I’m the only one without spiritual roots. Behind the palace doors, they say I’m unworthy of being a prince. All my brothers have been granted titles, except me…”