When Uncle Huzi found out I was holding a bank card loaded with 100,000 yuan, tears of excitement nearly welled up in his eyes. After so many hard days, we finally saw some hope. Without hesitation, he threw the food bag he'd been carrying straight into the trash bin.
"Damn it, I'm gonna drink and eat meat tonight," he declared.
But Uncle Huzi quickly snapped back to reality and looked at me seriously. "Young master, how could you agree to take on the Zhang family's matter? Didn't you forget the rules left by the head of the family?"
"No, I asked Zhang Yunyao in the car just now. It's their ancestral tomb that has the problem, and it's located in Yongfeng County, hundreds of kilometers away from Yanbei. My master only forbade me from taking jobs in Yanbei city itself. This job is in Yongfeng, so I don't think I'm breaking the rules," I explained.
Uncle Huzi pondered for a moment, nodded slowly, then said, "It seems to make sense, but something still feels off, though I can't quite put my finger on it. The rules left by the head of the family all have deep meanings. If you break one, unpredictable consequences will follow. You'd better be careful, young master."
"Are you sure? The first rule was about making him ten million yuan in a year — what's so deep about that? Explain it to me," I said, feeling my head ache at the thought. That old man took me as his disciple for eight years, probably expecting to get his tuition back in just one year. Not a bad deal for him.
Uncle Huzi smiled awkwardly, clearly unable to provide an explanation.
Later, we went to the bank to check the balance on that card. Sure enough, there was 100,000 yuan, which finally put my mind at ease. These past days, I had been terrified of going broke.
I immediately withdrew 10,000 yuan and handed it to Uncle Huzi, keeping the rest as a reserve.
Even if we tried to be frugal, that amount would be enough for us for at least a year.
As for making ten million yuan, screw that—I'd rather sell myself, and even then, it wouldn't be enough.
The next morning, Zhang Yucheng's Rolls-Royce pulled up in front of the courtyard.
Uncle Huzi and I stepped outside, and Zhang Yucheng greeted us with a big smile, warmly inviting us into the car.
Once inside, Zhang Yucheng excitedly said, "Young Master Wu, you finally agreed to help. It looks like my son still has hope."
Zhang Yunyao, sitting beside him, spoke proudly, "Dad, it was me who got Young Master Wu to come out. You better give me the credit."
"Yes, my daughter is really capable," Zhang Yucheng praised.
I didn't bother explaining that I wasn't doing this just because of his daughter — no point in saying more.
During the drive, I asked about their family tomb. Zhang Yucheng told me that their ancestral tomb was chosen during the late Qing Dynasty by a wandering Feng Shui master. Back then, the Zhang family was just a very ordinary household in Yongfeng County.
It was a story full of coincidences.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the country was in turmoil — foreign invaders, corrupt officials, bandits everywhere, disasters year after year, and the people were starving and miserable.
The Zhang family was poor too.
With life so hard, who would have the leisure to hire Feng Shui masters?
The Zhang family ancestor was a kind man. One day, outside his home, he encountered an old Taoist priest in tattered robes, too weak from hunger to even stand. The ancestor took the old man into his home and gave him the only two cornbreads they had, saving his life.
To express his gratitude, the old Taoist offered to find a Feng Shui site for the Zhang family. He spent several days scouting around Yongfeng County and claimed to have found a geomantic treasure site. He instructed that all their ancestors be buried there, promising that the family would prosper for generations.
At that time, the Zhang ancestor didn't think much of the old Taoist's wisdom — he had saved him purely out of kindness.
Unexpectedly, after burying their ancestors at that site, the Zhang family saw a huge turnaround.
During the Republic era, the Zhang family produced a wealthy magnate whose businesses spanned the country.
Even after some decline, the family still held onto some assets.
By the time of Zhang Yunyao's grandfather, the family used the inherited wealth to rise again. When Zhang Yucheng took over, the family was at its peak, founding the Julong Group, one of the top companies in all of Yanbei, with assets worth tens of billions.
However, just over twenty days ago, their ancestral tomb started having problems. The pine trees planted around it all withered overnight. Multiple Feng Shui masters were consulted, but none could find the cause or solution.
His only son, Zhang Yunliang, suffered from endless nightmares — every night dreaming of jumping off a building.
The Feng Shui experts insisted it was related to the tomb.
When they tried to relocate the tomb, they barely dug one meter before red blood-like water seeped out of the ground, scaring off the Feng Shui masters and workers.
With no other options, Zhang Yucheng turned to me and my master for help.
Unfortunately, my master was away, and I had the rule not to take Yanbei city cases.
If I hadn't carefully asked Zhang Yunyao about the details, we would have missed this chance.
Hearing all this, things began to make sense to me.
After several hours on the road, we finally arrived at the Zhang family ancestral tomb.
Waiting there were Zhang Yunyao's brother and a few workers.
After the car stopped, Zhang Yucheng led Uncle Huzi and me toward the tomb.
Upon meeting, Zhang Yucheng introduced, "Liangzi, this is the master I invited from Yanbei — Young Master Wu, disciple of Feng Shui King Li Xuantong. Our family is saved this time."
Zhang Yunliang looked to be in his twenties, pale and fair-skinned, with the appearance of a fresh-faced young man, even sporting an ear piercing.
His attitude toward me was indifferent, barely nodding as a greeting.
He probably thought I was too young to handle the family's problem, hence the coldness.
But when I looked him over closely, I saw his life palace was dim and overshadowed by ominous energy — a sign that his life might be short. I involuntarily gasped.
"Mr. Zhang, have you recently encountered something unclean or sinister?" I asked bluntly.
Zhang Yunliang glanced at me, sneered, and said, "Cut the mysticism. Several Feng Shui masters have come before and couldn't solve our family's problem. Now you're dragging me into it. Are you just another scammer trying to rip us off?"