Xia Liang pointed at the Golden Toad. "It's this thing. Through the underground water, it has sucked away the ancestral fortune of your Old Meng Family."

A look of horror filled the eyes of the Meng brothers.

"This little thing is what caused us so much harm?"

"Precisely," Xia Liang nodded. "And this Shroud Tomb was likely arranged by that Chen Xuandu. The Taoist Robe is the very one he wore."

Meng Kexi looked at the Taoist Robe, his eyes brimming with rage. "Taoist Priest Chen, even if a deal falls through, goodwill should remain! Why would you deal such a cruel blow to my Old Meng Family?"

Having said this, Meng Kexi took the robe and gave a deep bow to Xia Liang. "Master Xia Tian, please perform your rites and help my Old Meng Family get justice!"

Meng Kezhong quickly nodded as well. "Master Xia Tian, as the saying goes, 'We do not attack unless we are attacked; if we are attacked, we will certainly counterattack.' I beg you to take action. I, Meng Kezhong, am willing to pay any price!"

Xia Liang looked at the two Meng brothers bowing before him. After pondering for a moment, he shook his head. "No, I can't help you with this. I only accept business for Fortune Telling and feng shui consultations. I don't take on any other kind of work."

Xia Liang flatly refused.

Meng Kezhong, not giving up, pleaded, "Master Xia Tian..."

Before he could finish, Xia Liang shook his head again. Seeing Xia Liang's adamant refusal, Meng Kezhong had no choice but to drop the matter.

"Then should we burn this Three-legged Golden Toad as well?" he asked.

Xia Liang shook his head. "It's best not to. This Three-legged Golden Toad is engorged with the vitality of your Old Meng Family. If you burn it, all of that will be completely destroyed."

Meng Kexi was frustrated. "Then what should we do?"

Xia Liang thought for a moment. "Leave it for now. When it's time to relocate the graves, I'll figure out a way to make it spit out everything it swallowed."

Hearing this, the two Meng brothers could only nod. After all, it was better to take action late than never. From a certain perspective, this was a positive development.

The Meng family invited Xia Liang to stay for dinner, but he declined. In the end, Meng Kexi arranged for a car and personally drove Xia Liang back to his shop.

「...」

After sending all the guests away, Xia Liang sat at his desk to craft a Fengshui Stone. With a flick of his wrist, a stone of unknown material appeared in his hand. It was pitch-black like obsidian but possessed the lustrous sheen of jade. Though it was a stone, it felt like metal to the touch.

A Fengshui Stone made from this material should solve their problems. Xia Liang murmured softly to himself. He then picked up a carving knife and began to carve meticulously.

"Wow, Xia Liang, when did you become a master carver?" Seeing that all the customers had left, Xu Wanying felt much more at ease. She promptly pulled Su Qianyun over to sit beside Xia Liang.

However, Xia Liang didn't even lift his head, his focus entirely on his carving.

Xu Wanying was about to wave her hand in front of his face when Su Qianyun whispered, "Shh, don't disturb him. You'll break his concentration."

Hearing this, Xu Wanying quickly stopped. The two women cupped their chins and leaned in, watching with rapt attention. Xia Liang now resembled a seasoned artisan, his movements fluid and unceasing. Although it was his first time crafting a Fengshui Stone, the knowledge in his mind made it feel as if he had carved countless times before. The entire process was seamless, without a single wasted motion.

After a long while, Xia Liang shook the stone dust from his hands and stood up. "Whew... it's finally finished."

"Wow, it's so beautiful!" Xu Wanying exclaimed as she looked at the Fengshui Stone in Xia Liang's hands. "Xia Liang, are you sure you're a Fortune Teller and not a master carver?"

In his hands was a stone carp. Its body was curved in a dynamic pose, appearing incredibly lifelike. Every scale, even the fine slits of its gills, was carved with exquisite detail.

Xu Wanying took the stone carp and cradled it in her palms. "My father loves stone carvings, but even among his collection, I've never seen a piece this beautiful."

Xia Liang nodded in satisfaction. "A carp is an aquatic creature, and in the five elements, metal generates water. This is far more effective than a simple pair of golden chopsticks!"

Then he said to the two women, "Go and give this to Meng Kexi. Tell him to fill that Golden Bowl with water at noon tomorrow, place this Carp Fengshui Stone inside, and bury it in the original spot. Their family's problems will then be solved."

The two women nodded promptly.

Xu Wanying blinked her large eyes. "So, how much should we charge for this Fengshui Stone?"

Xia Liang thought for a moment. "Five Yuan. From now on, all Fengshui Stones in the shop will sell for that price."

"What? Five Yuan!?" Xu Wanying cried out.

Xia Liang was puzzled. "What's wrong? Is that too expensive?"

"Expensive? It's way too cheap!" Xu Wanying shook her head. "From an artistic standpoint alone, this carving is worth so much more, to say nothing of its power to protect a home!"

Hearing her words, Xia Liang chuckled and shook his head. "I'm a Fortune Teller. In my eyes, this Carp Fengshui Stone's only value is its feng shui properties."

Xu Wanying grew anxious. "But..."

"No buts," Xia Liang said, waving his hand. "Regardless of the craftsmanship, in my eyes, it's just an ordinary Fengshui Stone. Understand?"

Xu Wanying nodded, though she only seemed to half-understand.

「...」

「Meanwhile.」

In the Shuanglong Taoist Temple on Longhu Mountain, the scenic area was closed for renovations, so the few resident Daoists were enjoying a period of quiet leisure. However, few people knew that behind the statue in the Sanqing Grand Hall, there was a hidden door. At that moment, an old and a young Daoist priest were inside.

"Master, I heard some news when I was at the foot of the mountain just now."

"Hmm? What news?"

"The scheme affecting the Meng family... it's been broken!"

"What did you say?" An elder who had his back turned quivered violently at these words and spun around. Though his frame was hunched, the old Daoist had white hair but a youthful complexion. Right now, however, his eyes were filled with disbelief.

The young Daoist priest stood respectfully to the side, his head lowered. "When I was returning from the mountain just now, I heard the news. At first, I didn't quite believe it, so I made a special trip to the Meng family's home to check. It's true; the scheme has been broken. Their entire feng shui layout has changed."

There's an old saying: A first-rate celestial master observes the constellations, a second-rate master examines the water channels, and a third-rate practitioner roams the mountains. The fact that this young Daoist could discern the Meng family's feng shui layout at a glance proved he was no amateur. After speaking, the young Daoist fell silent, quietly waiting for his master to respond.

The old Daoist's eyes glinted. "To think someone could actually break a scheme set by me, Chen Xuandu. Do you know who did it?"

The young Daoist replied, "It was a young man, they say."

Chen Xuandu furrowed his brows. "A young man?"

His shock grew even stronger. Although he hadn't invested much effort into setting up the scheme for the Meng family, it was certainly not something an ordinary person could see through. Chen Xuandu had assumed that whoever broke it would be an old man like himself. But now... it was broken by a young man?

Chen Xuandu's expression was grim. "What is this person's name?"

The young Daoist priest shook his head. After thinking for a long time, he spoke softly, "I'm not sure. I was just listening in and didn't dare ask too many questions. They say he's quite skilled. Everyone calls him Master Xia Tian."

Hearing this, Chen Xuandu scoffed. "Master Xia Tian? Even I wouldn't dare call myself a Heavenly Master. A newborn calf truly doesn't fear the tiger..."

The young Daoist priest bowed. "Master, now that the Meng family's scheme is broken, what should we do?"

Chen Xuandu's eyes darted about as he stroked his white beard. "Don't worry about it for now. Fourth Brother, you go and test him."

The young Daoist priest was slightly startled. "Master, you're not going to handle this yourself? After all, this kid broke the rules..."

Chen Xuandu shook his head. "Disciple, the time is not yet right for your master to descend the mountain."

The young Daoist priest nodded. "If this person is truly as skilled as they say, he shouldn't be hard to find. Master, I'll get right on it!"

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