The upgrade to his Qi Observation Technique was certainly a cause for celebration, but now wasn't the time to be happy.
Having calmed down, Zhao Yuan pointed to the four small gourds and asked, "Why are there only four of these? They should be a set of five to correspond with the Five Elements! Where's the white one?"
"Huh?" Wang Qing was taken aback. "There's another one? I had no idea. There were only four of them when I bought them." He suddenly put two and two together and quickly asked, "Master Zhao, are you saying the strange phenomena in my house are being caused by these four little gourds?"
Zhao Yuan nodded. "More or less."
"What's the story behind these four gourds? Why are they so sinister?" Cheng Yunlong couldn't help but ask.
Strangely enough, as soon as Zhao Yuan saw the four gourds of different colors, information about them automatically materialized on his Information Leaf.
In response to Cheng Yunlong's question, Zhao Yuan simply had to read aloud what he saw: "These are the Five Elements Gourd. They're supposed to ward off evil and safeguard the home, but unfortunately, the set is missing one piece. This has disrupted the balance of the Five Elements, giving rise to all sorts of strange phenomena. And all of these phenomena are directly related to the Five Elements!"
Cheng Yunlong and Wang Qing thought back and realized it was true. The kitchen fire, the burst water pipe, the crumbling walls, the moss overgrowing the house—they all corresponded to Fire, Water, Earth, and Wood.
The color drained from Wang Qing's face. He suddenly reached out, snatched the four small gourds, and turned to run out of the house.
"Old Wang, where are you going?" Cheng Yunlong asked urgently.
"I'm going to throw these cursed things out!" Wang Qing shouted back without looking.
Zhao Yuan spoke up. "It's no use. These four little gourds have already integrated with your home's energy field. No matter how far you throw them, they'll find their way back here through all sorts of 'accidents'."
"What?" Wang Qing stopped in his tracks. A moment later, he had another idea. "Then I'll smash them to pieces!"
"Don't!" Zhao Yuan stopped him again. "These four gourds were nourished by the incense in an Earth God Temple, turning them into Magical Artifacts. If you smash them recklessly, your entire family will suffer the backlash and invite a terrible calamity!"
Wang Qing's face turned green with fear. He no longer dared to smash the gourds; instead, he cradled them carefully in his hands, terrified of dropping them and bringing disaster upon himself. With a long face, he asked, "I can't do this, and I can't do that. Am I just supposed to let them keep wreaking havoc in my home?"
"How about this," Zhao Yuan said after a moment of consideration. "Sell these four gourds to me, and I guarantee they will never trouble you again."
This was a decision Zhao Yuan had made after careful consideration.
'These four gourds are Magical Artifacts imbued with the Power of the Five Elements. Even though the Metal-aspected gourd is missing, it's not impossible to compensate for it. Once I've completely mastered the Chinese Herbal Cultivation Technique, I'll need to start building a base for growing medicinal herbs. If I can use the Five Elements Gourd to set up a Feng Shui Formation, the results will be far superior to using Five Elements Coins!'
Hearing Zhao Yuan's offer and guarantee, Wang Qing was about to agree instinctively, but on second thought, he hesitated.
'These Five Elements Gourds are Magical Artifacts. If I can just complete the set, I could turn this misfortune into a blessing! They would protect my home and keep my family safe! Besides, gourds are known to attract wealth and treasure. Maybe if I complete the set, not only will my home be safe, but I'll draw in wealth from all corners. My fortunes would skyrocket, and I'd be set for life!'
Zhao Yuan's perception was sharp enough to see right through him. He knew exactly what Wang Qing was thinking.
He chuckled. "Oh, right. There's something I almost forgot to mention. For now, these four gourds are just disrupting the Five Elements in your home and causing these strange events. But soon, they'll start affecting you and your family. Once a person's Five Elements fall into disarray, they'll either be struck by a sudden illness or meet with an unexpected disaster. When that time comes, I won't be able to save you. You'll have to find someone more skilled."
Wang Qing was skeptical. "Is that true?" he asked, while thinking to himself, 'This kid isn't trying to trick me, is he? Is he just making up some terrifying story to scare me into selling him these gourds?'
"Believe it or not. I've said my piece. If something happens to you down the line, don't come looking for me. Because even if you did, I wouldn't be able to help." With that, Zhao Yuan turned to leave.
Seeing this, Cheng Yunlong grew anxious and rushed to say to Wang Qing, "Old Wang, what on earth are you thinking? Would Master Zhao lie to you? Are you really going to wait until you're staring at the coffin to shed a tear?"
Wang Qing was still hesitating when a piece of plaster fell from the ceiling, grazing the tip of his nose before hitting the floor. The close call startled him, but it also shocked him back to his senses.
'He's right... Old Cheng is right. With something like this, it's better to be safe than sorry. What if I keep these four little gourds and really do bring disaster on my family? It'll be too late for regrets then! And even though completing the Five Elements Gourd set could turn this curse into a blessing, how could that be easy? Finding the missing one would be like finding a needle in a haystack...'
Having thought it through, Wang Qing scrambled to call out, "Master Zhao, don't go! I'll sell you the four gourds!"
Zhao Yuan stopped and turned around. "Name your price."
"As for the price..."
Wang Qing's mind raced.
In truth, he hadn't spent much when he acquired these items from the Earth God Temple. After selling the few pieces of huanghuali furniture that came with them, he had not only recouped his initial investment but also made a handsome profit.
But he was a businessman, and what businessman doesn't want to earn a little extra? Besides, these four little gourds were Magical Artifacts! In Wang Qing's eyes, even if the set was incomplete, they clearly had value. Otherwise, why would Zhao Yuan want to buy them?
'Since they have value, I have to name a price that reflects it!'
Just as Wang Qing was mulling over a price, Cheng Yunlong frowned, leaned in close, and whispered, "Old Wang, you aren't actually thinking of selling him these four gourds, are you?"
"What else can I do? Keep them here and wait for disaster to strike?" Wang Qing sighed, a pained expression on his face.
Seeing that his friend had gotten the wrong idea, Cheng Yunlong quickly added, "I mean you should give these four gourds to Master Zhao, not sell them to him!"
"Give them to him?"
Wang Qing was taken aback for a moment, but then he quickly understood what his friend meant.
'That's right. Selling them is just a transaction. Clean and simple, nobody owes anyone anything. But giving them away... that's a different story. The other party would have to remember the favor, would be indebted to me.'
'Although I haven't seen for myself just how capable Master Zhao is, the way my old friend Cheng Yunlong is trying to curry favor with him means he must be the real deal!'
'Getting on the good side of a genuinely skilled Feng Shui Master would be immensely beneficial for me and my family! In fact, those benefits might even outweigh what I'd get from completing a set of Five Elements Gourds to protect my home and attract wealth!'
Having figured this out, Wang Qing waved his hand magnanimously. "Why talk about money? It sours the mood! Since you've taken a liking to these four gourds, Master Zhao, I'll just give them to you! Besides, you're taking them off my hands to lift this curse. I can't thank you enough, so how could I possibly accept your money?"