The Qi field in Wang Qing's house was extremely chaotic. 'This must be the cause of all the strange phenomena!'
'Could it really be a problem with the Feng Shui?'
With this question in mind, Zhao Yuan walked into Wang Qing's house.
Wang Qing and Cheng Yunlong followed close behind, one nervous, the other full of curiosity.
"Old Wang, how long have you guys been away from home? Why does this place look like it's been abandoned for decades?" Cheng Yunlong clicked his tongue in amazement as he looked around.
Wang Qing said with a pained expression, "Come on, this is a new complex. It hasn't even been two years since we got the keys. I have no idea why the house has gotten into this state. We only moved out to escape the trouble less than a week ago."
"It got like this in less than a week? Holy cow! Good thing you guys moved out. If you'd stayed, it's a wonder nothing worse happened!" Cheng Yunlong sucked in a cold breath, then turned to Zhao Yuan. "Master Zhao, what exactly is going on at Old Wang's place? Is it a problem with the Feng Shui?"
Zhao Yuan replied, "I can't draw any conclusions yet. I need to take a look around first."
Wang Qing nodded repeatedly. Zhao Yuan's cautious attitude made him seem reliable. If Zhao Yuan had walked in and immediately started pointing out problems everywhere, Wang Qing would have suspected him of being a fraud.
He then asked, "Master Zhao, do you need any tools? Like a Fengshui Compass? I just acquired one a little while ago. If you can use it, I'll go get it for you."
Zhao Yuan shook his head. "I don't need tools to read Feng Shui."
'In truth, I don't even know how to use a Fengshui Compass. Besides, compared to the Qi Observation Technique, a Fengshui Compass is far inferior! The technique allows me to directly perceive changes in the flow of Qi, which is far more intuitive!'
How could Wang Qing have known any of this? In his mind, Zhao Yuan became all the more mysterious.
Zhao Yuan began to wander around the house, looking here and there. He used his Qi Observation Technique to examine the specific state of the house's Qi field.
Wang Qing and Cheng Yunlong followed behind him. After walking around for a bit, they grew boredâthey didn't have Zhao Yuan's abilities and couldn't see the changes in the house's Qi field.
So, they started chatting in low voices.
"Old Wang, you mentioned just now that you recently acquired a Fengshui Compass? I thought you weren't interested in that sort of thing," Cheng Yunlong asked curiously.
"It's like this," Wang Qing began. "A while ago, I went to the mountains to acquire some goods and came across an Earth God Temple that was about to be torn down and rebuilt. I saw that the tables, chairs, and benches inside, though dilapidated, were made of high-quality Huanghuali wood, so I got an idea. After some haggling with the temple priest, I bought all of itâthe furniture, a Fengshui Compass, the ritual vessels, everything."
"You must have made a killing on that deal, huh?" Cheng Yunlong said, his face full of envy.
Wang Qing gave a smug smile and said, "It was alright. The temple priest didn't know their real value. He thought I was after the ritual vessels and just threw the Huanghuali furniture in as a bonus. As soon as I got back, I sold that furniture for a high price. The ritual vessels, on the other hand, weren't that oldâmostly from the late Qing and early Republican eraâso they were harder to sell and wouldn't fetch a good price. I had to just store them at home for now."
As the two were chatting, Zhao Yuan suddenly turned around and asked, "The ritual vessels you got from the Earth God Templeâdid you bring them here before or after the strange phenomena started?"
After his earlier inspection, Zhao Yuan had already determined that there was nothing wrong with the Feng Shui in Wang Qing's house.
If the chaotic Qi field wasn't caused by Feng Shui, then what was the reason? Just as Zhao Yuan was pondering this, he overheard the conversation behind him and thought of another possibilityâMagical Artifacts!
Earth God Temples receive incense offerings from nearby villagers over long periods. As time passes, some items within the temple that originally contained Qi are slowly nurtured by the incense smoke until they become Magical Artifacts. Used properly, such artifacts can protect a household, ward off evil, and ensure peace. But if used improperly, they can generate Evil Qi, bringing disaster and even death!
In fact, absorbing the power from incense offerings can be used not only to nurture Magical Artifacts but also for one's own Cultivation. In the legacy left by Wu Peng, this method is known as the 'Incense and Candle Divine Dao.' It bears some resemblance to Zhao Yuan's own method of absorbing Wish Power.
Wang Qing didn't understand why Zhao Yuan was asking, but he answered honestly, "Just a few days before the strange phenomena began."
Zhao Yuan asked again, "Where did you put those ritual vessels?"
"I just stored them at home. I don't have a shop, so I usually keep the things I acquire here..." As he said this, it dawned on Wang Qing. He asked, alarmed, "Master Zhao, are you saying there's a problem with the ritual vessels I brought back from the Earth God Temple?"
Zhao Yuan shook his head. "I can't say for sure. I'll have to see them first."
"The items are in a safe in the bedroom. Please, follow me."
Wang Qing quickly led Zhao Yuan into the bedroom. In a corner, amidst a pile of dust and moss, he located a safe. After opening it, he took out several items: an Incense Burner, candlesticks, a Fengshui Compass, and more.
It seemed the temple priest of that Earth God Temple also occasionally moonlighted as a Feng Shui Master, helping the mountain folk from the surrounding area solve their problems.
Wang Qing placed the items on the floor and asked, "Master Zhao, these are all the items. Do you think they're the problem?"
Zhao Yuan nodded and activated his Qi Observation Technique.
"Hm?"
His eyes suddenly lit up as his gaze fell upon four small gourds.
Of the four small gourds, the largest was the size of an orange, while the smallest was no bigger than a flash drive. They were painted four different colors: red, black, yellow, and green. The gourds were also decorated with Runes. At first glance, they were quite beautiful, like artisanal souvenirs.
However, beneath the gourds' beautiful exteriors, Zhao Yuan's Qi Observation Technique allowed him to see four different kinds of Qi.
The black Qi was cold, moist, and sinking; the red Qi was warm, fiery, and rising; the yellow Qi was centered, gathering, and nurturing; the green Qi was vibrant, growing, and spreading.
Not only were the four types of Qi different in color, but they also gave Zhao Yuan completely different sensations.
'This is... the Qi of the Five Elements?'
Zhao Yuan was stunned for a moment, then an irrepressible excitement washed over him.
'My Qi Observation Technique has leveled up!?'
Before, his Qi Observation Technique could only perceive Yin Yang Qi. Now, he could see the Qi of the Five Elements. If that wasn't an upgrade, what was?
Even though it was just a minor level-up and not a major breakthrough, it still made Zhao Yuan incredibly excited.
The ability to perceive Yin Yang Qi while also discerning the state of the Five Elementsâwhether they were waxing or waningâwould be an enormous asset, both for diagnosing illnesses and for evaluating Feng Shui!
Amid his excitement, Zhao Yuan couldn't help but wonder, 'When did my Qi Observation Technique level up? Was it when my Medical Skill improved? Or did these four little gourds stimulate the upgrade?'
He hadn't used his Qi Observation Technique much lately, so he had no idea when this Medical Skill had even upgraded.