Twenty-one-year-old Young Master Liu was precisely at the age for daydreams, clutching the newly acquired ring tightly in his palm, lost in fantasies of striking it rich. He swept the assorted odds and ends brought by the sleazy-looking man into a box and tossed it onto the counter without a second thought. Locking the door, Young Master Liu whistled triumphantly, humming, "We common folk, we’re happy today. We common folk, we’re happy today..."

Having closed a deal, Young Master Liu planned to shut the shop early. He figured no one would be seeking geomancy consultations around the Mid-Autumn Festival anyway. He intended to buy some good food with Bai Bing and celebrate the holiday at home. While he was busy calculating what to buy, his phone rang. Bai Bing answered, murmured a couple of acknowledgments, and then handed the receiver over.

"I don't know him. Seems like a client," Bai Bing whispered.

"Hello, may I help you..."

"Mr. Liu, hello. I'm a family member of a client whose fortune you read for some time ago. My father's surname is Wang."

The wealthy family!? Could something be wrong? Young Master Liu’s nerves immediately tightened.

"Hello, hello. Is something the matter?"

"Oh, nothing major. I just returned from out of town for the Mid-Autumn Festival. My father mentioned you, and I’m very grateful. I’d like to treat you to a simple meal to express my thanks. Would that be convenient for you?"

Hoo—so that’s what it was. I almost wet myself from the fright. "Oh, no need, this is my profession, part of my duty. Please send my best regards to Uncle Wang. It’s a holiday, and I didn't even get a chance to visit the old man."

"You are too kind, but how about tomorrow night? Please don't refuse. I’ve already booked the hotel. Tomorrow evening at six, Triumph Palace, private room number 12. We’ll see you there, rain or shine."

The call ended abruptly. Young Master Liu dazedly hung up the receiver: "Hey, is this guy sick? Why is he practically forcing me to dinner? This feels really uncomfortable. But the venue sounds nice! There must be lots of great food. Bai Bing, you’re coming with me tomorrow; I’ll show you a big scene."

The next noon, Young Master Liu and Bai Bing ate very little. Bai Bing was confused, but according to Young Master Liu, that restaurant was a place overflowing with delicacies, and if they ate too much now, they wouldn't manage dinner. At four-thirty in the afternoon, Young Master Liu locked the shop door and flagged down a luxurious taxi with Bai Bing. Bai Bing asked why they weren't leaving at six. Young Master Liu replied that he was afraid of traffic.

And so, the two bumped along until they reached Triumph Palace at just a quarter past five. They entered the grand lobby and asked the attendant where private room 12 was located. A beautiful lobby hostess, speaking with a distinct Hong Kong accent, personally escorted them there. Upon entering the elegantly furnished private room, Young Master Liu clicked his tongue in admiration. "People, only when they have money can they care about ambiance and artistic conception. Poverty stifles even heroes!"

"Haha, Mr. Liu truly has keen insight," a hearty laugh echoed from outside the door. A man in his early forties, slightly plump and solidly built, walked in, followed by a younger man. "Mr. Liu, hello. My name is Wang Zhicai, and this is my best friend, Da Kang. We are both people who prefer to arrive early."

Wang Zhicai introduced them while exchanging pleasantries before sitting down.

Wang Zhicai felt alright, but the one called Da Kang made Young Master Liu uneasy. He felt a chilling, somewhat creepy aura about him.

"Hello. Hello." Young Master Liu wasn't unfamiliar with high society. "I am the humble Young Master Liu, and this is my shop friend, Bai Bing."

The four were seated, and a hostess immediately presented the menu. Wang Zhicai slid the menu over to Young Master Liu. After some polite refusal, Young Master Liu took the menu. Every dish on the menu featured a photograph, looking exquisite in color, aroma, and taste, but the prices were shockingly high. After ordering one dish, he handed the menu back to Wang Zhicai.

Wang Zhicai glanced at it, quickly ordered the dishes, and the hostess smiled and departed.

"Boss Wang, where do you make your fortune?"

"Hehe, Mr. Liu jokes. I run a small business in Xinjiang, just enough to get by, just enough to get by."

"Just enough to get by? Boss Wang, you are being too modest. Uncle Wang lives in such a high-end villa; your 'getting by' seems quite substantial, doesn't it? Haha." Hypocrisy. The richer they are, the more hypocritical they become. Trying to act humble with me!

"Nowadays, if you have a skill, you have money! If you have technique, you have money! I have no special skills or techniques, relying only on small businesses; there’s no great future in it. Unlike Mr. Liu, who is deeply familiar with the principles of the Five Elements. You are destined for success sooner or later."

"I’m just making a living. I’m the one just getting by. In this line of work, I don't seek great wealth or honor; being able to reach a comfortable standard of living is enough for me. Boss Wang, if you have any business related to this at your company or home in the future, please introduce me to some opportunities, brother."

"No problem, no problem. We all earn money together, right? Haha."

Just then, the dishes arrived—abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and fish maw—and a bottle of Maotai was placed on the table. The hostess poured wine for everyone, and the banquet officially began.

"Little Brother Liu, who was your master?" Wang Zhicai asked, his eyes gleaming with an indescribable light.

Young Master Liu thought, Trying to probe my background? I’ve been in this game for years; you think a pampered young master can fool me? We’ll see who fools whom. With that thought, Young Master Liu smiled. "To tell the truth, I was originally from the mainland. My master was the previous Celestial Master, Zhang Enpu. Unfortunately, my master passed away too early, and I only learned a superficial amount. I wonder if he will blame me from the netherworld."

"So you are a disciple of the Celestial Master. I admire that greatly, greatly." Wang Zhicai smiled, but Young Master Liu noticed his smile wasn't entirely sincere. Does he not believe me? He quickly raised his glass in awkwardness. "Brother Wang, I’ll drink this glass to thank you for treating me to this meal and giving us the chance to meet. I'll drink it down first as a sign of respect."

The conversation flowed, cups were exchanged, and after three rounds of drinks and five courses of food, the atmosphere warmed considerably under the influence of alcohol. Wang Zhicai asked with narrowed eyes, "Little brother, have you ever read the Jingyi Mizhi?"

Young Master Liu’s hand, holding the wine glass, paused: "Brother Wang also knows the Jingyi Mizhi?"

"Yes, the number of people who understand the Jingyi Mizhi is truly decreasing these days. Although I know of it, I don't understand it. A friend told me this book is the foremost text on the Green Satchel in history. So I was just asking. Casually asking. Does Mr. Liu know anything about this book?"

"To tell the truth, when I first arrived in Hong Kong, I found a Song dynasty edition in Kowloon. A venerable old craftsman also gave me some pointers."

There was a story behind that. In those days, Kowloon was rife with street stalls. When Young Master Liu first came to Hong Kong, partly to find his way around and partly to learn a few tricks of the trade, he used to browse the stalls frequently. In an obscure corner of an antique bookstall, he spotted this copy of the Jingyi Mizhi. He studied it for an hour and felt that, among works on Feng Shui, only the Zang Jing rivaled it. Afterward, he kept returning to that stall, constantly fearing someone else would buy the book. Fortunately, it remained unsold. Although he wanted to buy it, at that time he was just an employee under Uncle Diao, living off instant convenience store meals daily; where would he find spare cash for such a thing? The stall owner was an old man, and through repeated visits, they became acquainted. One day, the old man asked him with a smile, "Young man, why do you always look at this book but never buy it? Are you afraid it’s a fake? Let me tell you, it's absolutely a Song edition! I won't cheat you!"

Young Master Liu awkwardly scratched his head and replied, "Elder, it’s not that I don't want to buy it, but I can't afford it. But I really love reading it, so I keep coming back. Please don't be annoyed. I apologize." He thought the old man would surely chase him away; surely, businessmen hated customers like him!

"Heh heh." The old man smiled: "How do you know you can't afford it if you don't ask the price?"

"Don't tease me, Elder. A Song edition like this would cost at least a thousand or more. I'm just a laborer; I really have no money!"

"Young man, I see you are someone who understands this book, and someone who loves books. I will sell this book to you for twenty dollars. Do you want it?"

"Twenty?" Young Master Liu couldn't believe his ears and stared wide-eyed at the stall owner.

It turned out that some things are determined by fate. In the end, Young Master Liu not only acquired the Song edition Jingyi Mizhi for twenty dollars, but he also chatted with the old man for a long time. The old man's understanding, explanations, and guidance regarding the Jingyi Mizhi benefited him immensely. Enough said about that; let's return to the dinner party.

Young Master Liu gathered his thoughts and continued, "I have read this book through completely. As for how thoroughly I understand it, that's hard to say, but I have gained deep insights from it. Because its phrasing is magnificent and its diction is refined, I enjoy reading it more. The more I read, the more profound its principles seem, and the deeper its moral teachings!"

"I am also very interested in that. Could you tell me a bit more about it?"

Young Master Liu rarely received such appreciation. This kind of regard, combined with the Maotai, made him feel buoyant. "The general discussion of the Jingyi Mizhi reviews classics like the Qing Nang, Tian Yu, and Bao Zhao, emphasizing the proper coordination and regulation of movement and stillness, Yin and Yang, primarily relying on dragon veins and water currents. It is one of my favorite ancient texts. But, Brother Wang, how did you know I understood this book?"

"I guessed when I saw the Feng Shui mirror formation you set up for your father. I didn't expect such a coincidence; it turns out you are an expert in this field!"

A drifter! If I weren't an expert, I wouldn't even be at this meal with you! "What kind of expert am I? I just look at things for fun." He picked up a large prawn with his chopsticks and placed it in Bai Bing's bowl. "Sister Bing, don't be reserved; eat more!"

Bai Bing smiled helplessly and accepted the kind gesture.

Wang Zhicai smiled: "Brother, you are so good to your friend; you are a man of deep loyalty. I wonder if you would be willing to be my friend?"

"Of course, I would! Meeting is destiny!" Damn, who wouldn't want a rich young brother like this? Anyone who wouldn't is an idiot!

"Then I won't stand on ceremony with you anymore, brother. If you have anything that needs attention, you must help your brother out!"

"Certainly, certainly." What could he possibly need help with? With money, are there any problems that can't be solved? It was clear he was purely benefiting without losing anything.

The dinner concluded in a pleasant atmosphere.

Two days after the dinner, Wang Zhicai arrived unexpectedly at noon.

"Brother Wang has come? Have you eaten?" Young Master Liu quickly stood up.

"I have, I have." As he spoke, he glanced at Bai Bing nearby and smiled.

Young Master Liu immediately understood and sent Bai Bing out to buy cigarettes. Some clients were like that; they had matters they didn't want others to know about.

Wang Zhicai watched Bai Bing's retreating figure, lit a cigarette, and said, "Little brother, I won't beat around the bush with you."

This opening statement confused Young Master Liu. He didn't reply, waiting to hear what Wang would say next.

"I deeply admire your skill in Feng Shui. But how much money can you earn managing such a small shop?" Seeing that Young Master Liu remained silent, he continued, "Your brother has a way to strike it rich. Are you interested or not?"

Strike it rich? Young Master Liu’s eyes lit up. He dreamed of nothing else! To finally stand tall and proud like this!

Seeing the fleeting look in Young Master Liu’s eyes, Wang Zhicai smiled with satisfaction. "Actually, it’s a waste of your talent to only do house surveys and Feng Shui for people, isn't it? Our company is currently forming a private archaeological team, and we urgently need talent like you. Join us!"

In truth, by the time the words reached this point, Young Master Liu had understood seven or eight parts of the matter. But his heart was filled with fear, and he dared not respond. Archaeology? To hell with it. If phrased nicely, it was scientific research; if phrased harshly, wasn't it grave robbing and tomb raiding?

Grave robbing and tomb excavation had always been illegal acts that damaged one’s virtue since ancient times. Although his life hadn't been easy, was it necessary for him to do such a thing? He hesitated for a moment.

Wang Zhicai was, after all, an old hand. He pulled out two ten-thousand-dollar bills from his pocket and placed them on the table. "This is a deposit. Rest assured, follow me, and I won't treat you unfairly. You won't be doing anything major, just look at the geography and point me in the right direction. Even if I end up arrested someday, I will never betray you, brother. That’s what we need in this line of work: loyalty."

Young Master Liu’s psychological defense was slowly crumbling, not because of the words, but because of the money on the table. He mentally calculated: a deposit is usually thirty percent, so if these twenty thousand were the deposit, the total amount must be at least seventy thousand! For Young Master Liu, in an era when owning ten thousand yuan was a big deal, even if it were Hong Kong dollars, it was still a substantial fortune.

"I am not that kind of person without principles!" This was his final struggle...

Wang Zhicai opened his bag and threw another thirty thousand onto the table. "Fifty thousand deposit! Think it over carefully. I’m leaving now, brother. If you’ve made up your mind, call me the day after tomorrow morning!" With that, he left without looking back.

The confident look in the departing Wang Zhicai’s eyes seemed to suggest that Young Master Liu would surely agree. Watching Wang Zhicai leave the room, Young Master Liu didn't know if this matter was a blessing or a curse for him, but when he looked down at the money on the table... neither blessing nor curse mattered as much as the treasure right in front of him.

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